New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asked Pfizer Inc Chief Executive Albert Bourla on Monday if the state could acquire COVID-19 vaccine dosages directly from the U.S. drugmaker.
Cuomo said he was appealing to Pfizer directly as the firm was “not bound by commitments” that Moderna Inc made as a component of Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. federal government’s program to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
Outbound U.S. President Donald Trump’s management had guaranteed to carry out 20 million vaccinations by the end of 2020. Still, just about 10.6 million people had actually obtained several dosages as of last Friday.
However, Pfizer told Reuters that such a proposition would first require authorization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Pfizer claimed it was open to collaborating with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a manner that would certainly make sure fast vaccine circulation to as several Americans as feasible.
No state has purchased vaccines straight from the manufacturer. Cuomo’s letter did not state how many doses he was looking for or exactly how he would spend for it.
“With hospital stays and also deaths boosting throughout the country this wintertime, we are in a footrace with the virus, and also we will certainly lose unless we significantly increase the number of dosages getting to New Yorkers,” Cuomo claimed in a letter to Pfizer’s CEO.
“After myself and 7 other guys got in touch with the Trump Administration to launch more dosages, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said that relief was on the method. To date, however, the federal government has not acted upon that pledge,” Cuomo wrote.