White House officials say there are insufficient funds to buy a potential fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine for everyone in the country.
Administration officials say they have obtained enough doses to cover a fourth dose for individuals aged 65 years and older and the initial regimen for children younger than age 5 years, if regulators determine these doses are necessary. However, the officials note they cannot put in advance orders for additional vaccine doses for other age groups unless Congress pushes through a stalled $15 billion funding package.
White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said in an upcoming episode of “In The Bubble With Andy Slavitt,” which was recorded Monday and shared with the Washington Post: “Right now, we don’t have enough money for fourth doses, if they’re called for. We don’t have the funding, if we were to need a variant-specific vaccine in the future.”
Although federal regulators and health officials have not yet decided on whether a fourth dose is necessary, administration officials say that purchasing additional doses ahead of time — instead of waiting for another wave to hit — is essential.