PFE
Why is U.S. vaccine rollout taking longer than expected?
- Nearly 38M vaccine doses were distributed to U.S. states as of
Thursday, according to the CDC, but only about 17.5M have actually been
administered. That means over half of the shipped vaccines are sitting on
shelves across the country. Of the jabs given, 15M have been for a first
dose, while only 2.5M Americans have been given a second round of
Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE, BNTX) or Moderna's (NASDAQ:MRNA) inoculation.
- *What's holding up the rollout? *"We are working closely with Gen.
Gustave Perna (head of logistics in Operation Warp Speed), with the
manufacturers, with the states to understand exactly where the supply
is,"
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the CDC, told NBC's *TODAY*.
At least 12 states have reported vaccine shortages, and officials from
San
Francisco and New York warned that they could be completely out of doses
this week. She also said President Biden would also invoke the Defense
Production Act if there were supplies that were needed in vaccine
production, distribution of administration.
- *Quote:* "We need to make sure we titrate the amount of vaccine that
we have, for the people that are eligible (even expand eligibility), so
we
don't have vaccines on the shelves," added Walensky. "We also need to
make
sure there are enough vaccinators out there, including the Commissioned
Health Corps, medical military, retirees, dentists, veterinarians, and
medical and nursing students that are about to graduate. The CDC is also
looking at increasing the sites where people can get vaccinated,
including
community vaccination centers, stadiums, gyms, mobile units, federally
qualified healthcare centers and pharmacies."
- *Thought bubble:* Additional FDA-approved jabs can help boost supply
at a time when COVID deaths across the U.S. are forecast to pass the
half a
million milestone by the end of February. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
will soon send over safety and efficacy data of its Phase 3 trials,
which appeared to generate a promising antibody response in earlier
assessments. Health officials have high hopes for the one-shot regimen,
which simplifies the process of getting it out to the public.
- *What it means for markets: *Wall Street is hedging against possible
bumps in the U.S. vaccine rollout, according to Reuters, as the CBOE
Volatility Index expiring in March and beyond trades well above the
index's
current levels. Uncertainty over the rollout has also seen the VIX hover
above its long-term average near 20, even as the Dow Jones, S&P 500,
Nasdaq
and Russell 2000 rally to record highs.
|Today, 4:20 AM|17 Comments
Why is U.S. vaccine rollout taking longer than expected?
- Nearly 38M vaccine doses were distributed to U.S. states as of
Thursday, according to the CDC, but only about 17.5M have actually been
administered. That means over half of the shipped vaccines are sitting on
shelves across the country. Of the jabs given, 15M have been for a first
dose, while only 2.5M Americans have been given a second round of
Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE, BNTX) or Moderna's (NASDAQ:MRNA) inoculation.
- *What's holding up the rollout? *"We are working closely with Gen.
Gustave Perna (head of logistics in Operation Warp Speed), with the
manufacturers, with the states to understand exactly where the supply
is,"
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new director of the CDC, told NBC's *TODAY*.
At least 12 states have reported vaccine shortages, and officials from
San
Francisco and New York warned that they could be completely out of doses
this week. She also said President Biden would also invoke the Defense
Production Act if there were supplies that were needed in vaccine
production, distribution of administration.
- *Quote:* "We need to make sure we titrate the amount of vaccine that
we have, for the people that are eligible (even expand eligibility), so
we
don't have vaccines on the shelves," added Walensky. "We also need to
make
sure there are enough vaccinators out there, including the Commissioned
Health Corps, medical military, retirees, dentists, veterinarians, and
medical and nursing students that are about to graduate. The CDC is also
looking at increasing the sites where people can get vaccinated,
including
community vaccination centers, stadiums, gyms, mobile units, federally
qualified healthcare centers and pharmacies."
- *Thought bubble:* Additional FDA-approved jabs can help boost supply
at a time when COVID deaths across the U.S. are forecast to pass the
half a
million milestone by the end of February. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
will soon send over safety and efficacy data of its Phase 3 trials,
which appeared to generate a promising antibody response in earlier
assessments. Health officials have high hopes for the one-shot regimen,
which simplifies the process of getting it out to the public.
- *What it means for markets: *Wall Street is hedging against possible
bumps in the U.S. vaccine rollout, according to Reuters, as the CBOE
Volatility Index expiring in March and beyond trades well above the
index's
current levels. Uncertainty over the rollout has also seen the VIX hover
above its long-term average near 20, even as the Dow Jones, S&P 500,
Nasdaq
and Russell 2000 rally to record highs.
|Today, 4:20 AM|17 Comments
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