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Bloomberg
A Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc may be on the horizon, but the cost of distributing vaccines across all 50 states and who will pay for that operation remains a huge stumbling block.
What is clear is that much of the financial burden and logistical challenge of getting a vaccine to people has fallen on the shoulders of state governments.
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to invest $25 billion in manufacturing and distributing vaccines. And federal support has already bolstered state budgets this year as the pandemic hit tax revenue. But with some of those dollars already set to expire in coming months, further stimulus stalled in Congress since summer and approval of Biden’s plan far from certain, additional money might not reach states until a distribution campaign is well underway.
“We absolutely need more from the federal government,†said Sarah Leeds, Idaho’s immunisation program manager.
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said that their vaccine candidate prevented more than 90% of symptomatic infections in trials of tens of thousands of volunteers. If the vaccine passes key safety hurdles, an authorisation and shipments could be just weeks away.
In September, the CDC announced $200 million in grants specifically for vaccine planning.