Delivery, distribution delays hinder COVID-19 vaccination drive in EU, US

VACCINE PUZZLE FOR NEW US ADMINISTRATION

As the United States endures records of COVID-19 infections and deaths, US President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled his national strategy for addressing the pandemic, which starts with a national vaccination campaign aiming to administer 100 million doses of two-stage coronavirus vaccines within 100 days.

The Biden administration is trying to "figure out exactly what's holding up the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout, searching for any hiccups in the manufacturing processes, suppliers and distribution networks," CNBC on Thursday quoted Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as saying.

As of Saturday, nearly 40 million doses of vaccine have been distributed to states in the country, but only around 19 million have actually been administered, according to data provided by the CDC.

The New York Times reported that it was health officials and hospitals "struggling with a lack of resources" that explained why vaccine distribution was taking longer than expected. Holiday staffing also contributed to delays, the newspaper noted.

"The holiday season has meant that people are off work and clinics have reduced hours, slowing the pace of vaccine administration," it said.

The delivery delays, production issues and those sorts of logistical problems not only put the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 behind schedule, but also raised fears about how soon the affected countries will be able to tame the pandemic.

Italy has planned to take legal action against Pfizer because of the delays, Arcuri said in a statement on Tuesday.