A group of Democratic U.S. senators recently urged Congressional leaders to provide funding to ensure the swift distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
With the news of at least one COVID-19 vaccine could be available to be distributed before the end of the year, many state and local governments lack the funding needed to distribute the vaccine. A minimum of $8.4 billion is needed to distribute COVID-19 vaccines nationwide, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM).
“For months, as states, territories, Indian Tribes, and other localities have been responding to COVID-19 and working tirelessly to keep their residents safe, they have also been preparing to undertake one of the largest vaccination efforts in our nation’s history,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). “To accomplish this, jurisdictions must recruit and train thousands of health care workers, modernize data systems and registries, stand up vaccination sites, develop communications and educational materials, and build and support the infrastructure needed to distribute multiple types and doses of COVID-19 vaccines, among other activities.”
This letter was signed by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
“To ensure that jurisdictions throughout the country are well-positioned to immediately, efficiently, and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, we respectfully request that any upcoming legislation to address the pandemic include robust funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts,” the lawmakers concluded.