Since it was first discovered more than a year ago, COVID-19 has killed more than 429,000 people worldwide. And as of January 25, more than 25 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, according to Worldometer.
While the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 11, due in part to a transition of power in the White House, there have been some issues with the vaccine rollout. Read on to learn about the issues facing President Joe Biden and what he has promised regarding vaccine distribution.
Trump Administration Shortcomings
More than 400,000 people in the US died as a result of COVID-19 under the leadership of President Donald Trump. Despite this alarming figure, the Trump administration didn't establish a comprehensive vaccine distribution program, alleges Biden’s White House chief of staff Ron Klain.
"The process to distribute the vaccine, particularly outside of nursing homes and hospitals out into the community as a whole, did not really exist when we came into the White House," Klain said during a January 24 appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.
President Trump promised that 20 million Americans would receive the vaccine by the end of 2020. And, while the US ranked fourth in vaccination doses by population as of January 21, fewer than 3 million people had been vaccinated by December 31.
100 Million Vaccinations in 100 Days
During his interview on Meet the Press, Klain also spoke about President Biden's plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days as president. He noted the plan was ambitious, but others have criticized the Biden administration for not setting a loftier goal than that of President Trump. The US had already achieved 1 million vaccinations per day at the beginning of Biden's term as president. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is resuming his role as the top medical advisor to the president, is hopeful the Biden administration will exceed that goal.
Executive Orders
President Biden signed a number of executive orders, many relating to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, during his first week in the White House. Among other actions, these orders called to accelerate the manufacturing and delivery of vaccinations and establish federally funded community vaccination centers. He also issued executive orders requiring individuals to wear masks in airports and on certain modes of transportation. Moreover, he reversed the Trump-era plan to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization.