U.S. to send COVID-19 vaccine to pharmacies in hopes of speeding shots
By Reuters Staff
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States plans to start distributing COVID-19 vaccines through pharmacies around the country earlier than expected this week as states have struggled to use the supply they have been allocated, top health officials said on Wednesday.
The partnership with 19 pharmacy chains will eventually let the Operation Warp Speed vaccination program deliver to as many as 40,000 locations around the country, Warp Speed officials said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Pharmacies could provide a more efficient platform for distributing the vaccines than hospitals, they said.
USA TODAY
In a Wednesday news conference Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urged governors to get COVID-19 vaccines into as many people as possible as quickly as possible, and not let perfection be the enemy of the good.
The initial focus has been on vaccinating health care workers and nursing home residents. But with as much as 70% of distributed vaccines still sitting on pharmacy shelves, Azar said the focus should shift to vaccinating more people rather than on precisely who is getting the shots.
He praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for allowing senior citizens to have access to the shots alongside health care workers.
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NY Governor asks for proof of Covid-19 testing from international travelers
From CNN s Laura Dolan
A traveler is reflected in a window at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. Angus Mordant/Bloomberg/Getty Images
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked the federal government to require international travelers entering the state to show proof of a Covid-19 test before entry.
Cuomo said he wanted US Customs and Border Control personnel to ask for proof at all New York airports or to allow Port Authority personnel to obtain proof.
“Let us protect ourselves,” Cuomo said at his press conference Wednesday. “We don’t want tens of thousands of people coming through our airports every day from countries around the world who were not tested.”