CDC will award $227M for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, tracking

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award $140 million for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

The CDC will also award almost $87 million for tracking and testing to 64 jurisdictions, including all 50 states and U.S. territories.

“States and other public health jurisdictions are vital partners in the COVID-19 response and especially in the plans for distributing safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said. “This new round of funding will help these awardees continue to plan for and implement their COVID-19 vaccine programs, in collaboration with CDC, Operation Warp Speed, and the private-sector distribution and administration partners that we have enlisted.”

The COVID-19 vaccine preparedness funds come from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), along with previous support of $200 million in September. This money will help awardees continue to prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVID-19 tracking and testing funding stems from the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. It will provide critical support to existing CDC grantees through the agency’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement.

“These are critical investments at a critical time in the COVID-19 pandemic,” CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said. “Vaccine is being distributed now, and this additional funding is an important step along the road to restoring some normalcy to our lives and to our country. These investments will also have lasting effects on our Nation’s public health infrastructure, including strengthened capabilities for public health labs across the country.”