Not sharing the wealth, Joe? Biden has stockpiled doses of AstraZeneca vaccine that Europe and developing world need because he wants it should FDA approve it
President Joe Biden is holding onto doses of the unapproved AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because he wants 'maximum flexibility' to use it, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.
'I think his view is that his obligation, first obligation is to addressing what is still a crisis in our country,' Psaki explained during the daily press briefing. 'And he wants to have, as the leader of this country, maximum flexibility.'
Psaki was pressed on whether there was a 'moral dilemma' for the U.S. to be sitting on doses of a vaccine that can't be currently used on Americans, but could save lives in Europe and around the world.
President Joe Biden (left) wants to have 'maximum flexibility' on COVID-19 vaccines, which is why the U.S. is sitting on unapproved doses of AstraZeneca's product, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved in Europe and elsewhere, but not in the United States. Still the vaccine doses produced in the United States aren't leaving the country because the White House is first addressing 'what is still a crisis in our country'
She relented that it was a 'tricky balance,' pointing out that, on average, 1,400 Americans are still dying daily of the virus, while Biden also aspires to be a 'key member of the global community.'
Administration officials also said that the U.S. was sitting on AstraZeneca doses so they could roll it out quickly if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.
AstraZeneca has produced doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, where it has yet to be approved.
The vaccine developed with Oxford University has been authorized for use in the European Union and many countries.
Reuters reported this week that U.S. officials told the EU not to expect shipments of the shot from the United States anytime soon.
'We have a small inventory of AstraZeneca so, if approved, we can get that inventory out to the American people,' White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients said in a Friday press call.
The New York Times reported this week that tens of millions of doses have already been produced in the United States and are sitting in production facilities unused.
Psaki said during the briefing that she was 'not sure' the U.S. government would have a number to provide on how many doses are currently in the stockpile.
AstraZeneca said in February it expects its vaccine could receive U.S. emergency use authorization at the beginning of April and could immediately deliver 30 million doses to locations around the United States.
The U.S. stance could jeopardize AstraZeneca's attempts to come closer to delivering on its contractual obligation with the EU of 180 million doses in the second quarter.
AstraZeneca told the EU earlier this year it would cut its supplies in the second quarter by at least half to less than 90 million doses, EU sources told Reuters, after a bigger reduction in the first three months of the year.
Biden said on Wednesday the government will first give Americans COVID-19 vaccines, but any surplus would be shared with the world.
The United States has been one of the world leaders in vaccine administration.
It has distributed more than 130 million shots and administered nearly 100 million, according to federal data last updated on Thursday.
White House officials said on Friday that 65 per cent of Americans over 65 years old have been given shots.
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