Biden to Share AstraZeneca Vaccine as India Descends into Covid Chaos
The Biden Administration is preparing to send millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other nations. The FDA has not yet approved AstraZenca’s vaccine for injections in the US, and enough of the three approved vaccines are likely to be delivered before May 31 to jab every American who wants a dose.
Meanwhile, India’s healthcare system is having a catastrophic meltdown as the number of Covid-19 cases is far exceeding what it can handle.
The Biden administration is preparing to send up to 60 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need over the next several months, once a federal safety review is conducted, according to two senior Biden administration officials.
The company has produced about 10 million doses of the vaccine for the U.S. but the FDA has not yet authorized their use. The agency is still examining the doses to ensure they meet the necessary quality control standards. An additional 50 million doses are in production, one of the senior officials said.
It is unclear where the U.S. will send the AstraZeneca doses…
India is a scary example of what can happen when Covid runs wild as many people are dying at home or even in hospital parking lots with no one to care for them and with few supplies for those who can be admitted. A couple of days ago the Biden Administration pledged to send large quantities of supplies and help in manufacturing more vaccines. Many other nations are also sending help, but the suffering is enormous.
India was initially seen as a success story in weathering the pandemic, but the virus is now racing through its population of nearly 1.4 billion, and systems are beginning to collapse.
In addition to oxygen running out, intensive care units are operating at full capacity and nearly all ventilators are in use. As the death toll mounts, the night skies in some Indian cities glow from the funeral pyres, as crematories are overwhelmed and bodies are burned in the open air.
US vaccination rates have slowed some to 2.74 million a day on average. The percentage of Americans who have received at least one dose was 42.5% as of yesterday. At least one dose has gone into the arms of 53.9% of all Americans over the age of 18, and 81.7% of senior US residents have had at least one arm stick.
US Vaccinations 1 or more shots (Cumulative %)
Age 4/13 4/22 4/23 4/24 4/25
75> 78.5% 80.3% 80.5% 80.6% 80.8%
65-74 79.6% 82.2% 82.5% 82.7% 82.9%
50-64 53.9% 59.4% 59.9% 60.5% 60.8%
40-49 40.8% 46.9% 47.5% 48.1% 48.6%
30-39 34.5% 40.3% 40.9% 41.5% 42.0%
29-18 25.0% 30.8% 31.4% 32.0% 32.5%
<18 1.3% 2.2% 2.3% 2.4% 2.5%
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Bloomberg’s Vaccination Tracker
| Day |
|
Delivered | Total Shots | 1st Shot (% of Pop) | Fully Vac. (% of Pop) |
| 4/25 | Sun | 290,692,005 |
230,768,454 +2,107,046 |
140,969,663 (42.5%) +991,183 |
95,408,925 (28.9%) |
| 4/24 | Sat | 290,692,005 |
228,661,408 +3,020,948 |
139,978,480 (42.2%) +1,333,756 |
94,772,329 (28.5) |
| 4/23 | Fri | 290,685,655 |
225,640,460
+3,318,230 |
138,644,724 (41.8%) +1,409,835 |
93,078,040 (28%) |
| 4/22 | Thu | 286,095,185 |
222,322,230 +3,374,587 |
137,234,889 (41.3%) +1,443,858 |
91,175,995 (27.5%) |
| 4/21 | Wed | 282,183,915 |
218,947,643 +2,996,544 |
135,791,031 (40.9%) +1,345,436 |
88,885,481 |
| 4/20 | Tue | 277,938,875 |
215,951,909 +2,563,671 |
134,445,595 (40.5%) +1,178,600 |
87,255,919 |
| 4/19 | Mon | 272,030,795 |
213,388,238 +1,806,929 |
133,266,995 (40.1%) +945,367 |
86,223,506 |
| 4/18 | Sun | 264,505,725 |
211,581,309 +2,174,495 |
132,321,628 (39.9%) +1,074,082 |
85,365,180 |
| 4/17 | Sat | 264,505,725 |
209,406,814 +3,534,901 |
131,247,546 (39.5%) +2,926,926 |
83,976,957 |
| 4/16 | Fri |
264,499,715 264,505,725 |
205,871,913 +3,588,990 |
128,320,620 (39%) +577,524 |
82,203,088 |
| 4/15 | Thu | 258,502,815 |
202,282,923 +3,965,883 |
127,743,096 (38.5) +1,920,228 |
80,360,022 |
|
2/27
1/19 12/18 12/11 |
|
J&J vaccine pre-Biden Moderna Pfizer/Bio |
authorized
authorized authorized |
