Post by miamianne67 on Jan 19, 2021 11:36:35 GMT
New York explores buying COVID-19 vaccine directly from Pfizer
Jan. 19, 2021 2:07 AM ETPfizer Inc. (PFE)By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor6 Comments
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday considers the idea of buying COVID-19 shots directly from one of the vaccine makers, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE).
There are no concrete plans yet as the pharmaceutical giant said it would need federal approval to sell to state governments. If that were to happen, the cost and amount have yet to be be discussed.
Regardless, Cuomo said he felt compelled to broach the idea as his state, like many others, faces tough vaccine math. At the current pace of federal vaccine shipments to New York, it could take six months or more to get shots to the 7M eligible residents, let alone the roughly 12M other New Yorkers.
An HHS spokesperson said via email that Cuomo is “trying to circumvent a long-planned federal allocation system by attempting to cut to the front of the line at the expense of fellow jurisdictions.”
The spokesperson said the top priority for HHS is "maximizing the availability of safe and effective vaccines in a manner which is responsible, fair and equitable for all Americans, not just to those in New York State.”
The federal government has been paying $19.50/dose for the Pfizer vaccine and has ordered 200Mdoses so far. Other nations around the world have also placed orders.
Jan. 19, 2021 2:07 AM ETPfizer Inc. (PFE)By: Mamta Mayani, SA News Editor6 Comments
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday considers the idea of buying COVID-19 shots directly from one of the vaccine makers, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE).
There are no concrete plans yet as the pharmaceutical giant said it would need federal approval to sell to state governments. If that were to happen, the cost and amount have yet to be be discussed.
Regardless, Cuomo said he felt compelled to broach the idea as his state, like many others, faces tough vaccine math. At the current pace of federal vaccine shipments to New York, it could take six months or more to get shots to the 7M eligible residents, let alone the roughly 12M other New Yorkers.
An HHS spokesperson said via email that Cuomo is “trying to circumvent a long-planned federal allocation system by attempting to cut to the front of the line at the expense of fellow jurisdictions.”
The spokesperson said the top priority for HHS is "maximizing the availability of safe and effective vaccines in a manner which is responsible, fair and equitable for all Americans, not just to those in New York State.”
The federal government has been paying $19.50/dose for the Pfizer vaccine and has ordered 200Mdoses so far. Other nations around the world have also placed orders.