The Trump administration opted last summer not to lock in a chance to buy millions of additional doses of one of the leading coronavirus vaccine contenders, a decision that could delay the delivery of a second batch of doses until manufacturer Pfizer fulfills other international contracts.
The revelation, confirmed Monday by people familiar with the matter, came a day before President Donald Trump aimed to take credit for the speedy development of forthcoming coronavirus vaccines at a White House summit Tuesday.
Vaccine development and procurement was supposedly being done like a wartime program: Identify problems and throw money at them until they're fixed. Fund multiple lines of development so you can get at least one thing that works. It's better to have too much than not enough.
The Army Air Force was a master of this during the war. They bought several different makers' fighters. For a long-range heavy bomber, they first bought the B-17 and the B-24, then for a very heavy, bought the B-29 and the B-32.
In the midst of a national emergency is no time to cut corners, to cheap out. But that's what Trump did.
And we may pay heavily for it. But one thing has been clear from day 1 of this pandemic: Trump doesn't give a fuck about the American people.
Trump ran America like it was one big Ponzi scheme.
ReplyDeleteThey were planning to strong-arm them, auction them off to the highest (states) bidder, like they did when they were hijacking personal protection. People are dead for that.
ReplyDeleteCalled it: Trump to issue executive order to stop vaccine from reaching other countries
ReplyDeleteMore Drumpf proclamation written using sharpie on TP.
ReplyDeleteIf has the force of nothing.
I ask the stupid question, if a million doses landed right now with
a limited shelf life could we deliver most all of it to arms?
Eck!
The Phizer vaccine has to be kept at a temperature of -70 or -80 C . Your doctor is not going to get a shipment . Phizer took now money from the US govt to use in the development of their vaccine .
ReplyDelete