|
 Pfizer, however, told Reuters that such a proposal would first
require approval by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
"With hospitalizations and deaths increasing across the country this
winter, we are in a footrace with the virus, and we will lose unless
we dramatically increase the number of doses getting to New
Yorkers", Cuomo said in a letter to Pfizer's CEO.
"After myself and seven other governors called on the Trump
Administration to release more doses, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said
that relief was on the way. To date, however, the federal government
has not acted on that promise," Cuomo wrote.
Cuomo said he was appealing to Pfizer directly as the company was
"not bound by commitments" that Moderna Inc made as part of
Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government's program to distribute
COVID-19 vaccines.
[to top of second column] |
 No state has purchased vaccines
directly from the producer. Cuomo's letter did
not state how many doses he was seeking or how
he would pay for it.
Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump's
administration had promised to administer 20
million vaccinations by the end of 2020 but only
about 10.6 million people had received one or
more doses as of last Friday.
Pfizer said it was open to collaborating with
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
in a way that would ensure quick vaccine
distribution to as many Americans as possible.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru;
Editing by Howard Goller)
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