FEMA Supports Vaccine Distribution: COVID-19 Response Update | FEMA.gov

WASHINGTON -- FEMA has now obligated more than $1.98 billion to states, tribes, territories and Washington D.C., for community vaccination centers, and as of Feb. 4, there are 175 federally supported vaccine centers operational across the country.

FEMA continues working alongside other federal agencies in providing federal support for critical staffing, supplies and other shortfalls that can help get more Americans vaccinated.

President Joseph R. Biden directed FEMA to retroactively reimburse states for 100% of their costs for eligible emergency protective measures including masks, gloves, emergency feeding actions, sheltering at risk populations and mobilization of the National Guard, if not funded by HHS/CDC or another federal agency.

Faced with the daunting task of parceling out a limited supply of coronavirus vaccines, Trump administration officials came up with a seemingly simple formula last year to streamline distribution of the shots.

First, federal administrators would run an automated algorithm to divide vaccine doses nationwide, based on the size of each state’s adult population. Then each state would decide how to dole out the shots to local hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.

But rather than streamline vaccine distribution, public health experts say, the algorithm has increased the burden for many states. It requires them to come up with multiple delivery plans for their weekly quotas of Pfizer and Moderna shots, even if the different shipments are destined for the same clinics and hospitals.

New COVID-19 cases nationally drop below 100K for first time in 2021 The number of new daily coronavirus cases has dropped below 100,000 for the first time this year, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Joseph Choi TheHill

The number of new daily coronavirus cases has dropped below 100,000 for the first time this year, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

What scientists know about the new variants and the Covid-19 vaccines When it comes to the new variants and the Covid-19 vaccines, some of the news is very good. But some is potentially very bad indeed. Andrew Joseph STAT

here is now real evidence that at least one coronavirus variant seems to elude some of the power of Covid-19 vaccines. What, exactly, that means for the pandemic is still being sussed out.

Vaccines Could Blunt U.K. Epidemic in Weeks

LONDON — Britain is on a pace to give the first shot of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine to its entire population by the end of June, if it can avoid supply and logistical issues that threaten to slow one of the world’s fastest rollouts.

The most vulnerable will get their first doses much sooner — likely over the next two weeks — which could drastically reduce deaths. People over 70, nursing home residents and workers, health and social workers, and those whose health problems make them extremely vulnerable are all on schedule to receive their first vaccine shots before Feb. 15. Together these groups have accounted for 88 percent of all Covid-19 deaths.

The timeline shows the promise of vaccination as a path out of the deadliest stage of the pandemic in the countries that are moving quickly. ...