White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zeints is claiming that today’s decision to pause use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine “will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan” because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine “makes up less than 5 percent of the recorded shots in arms in the United States to date”:
Biden’s coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients says Johnson & Johnson pause “will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan”because [email protected] vaccine “makes up less than 5 percent of the recorded shots in arms in the United States to date.”
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 13, 2021
Oh really? If that’s the case, why is there a need to help states get people rescheduled for a Pfizer or Moderna one:
Jeff Zients: "We are working now with our state and federal partners to get anyone scheduled for a J&J vaccine quickly rescheduled for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine."
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) April 13, 2021
According to reports, states are already “scrambling to determine how the decision affects current vaccine supply and distribution plans”:
Officials in multiple states tell me this morning that they’re scrambling to determine how the decision affects current vaccine supply and distribution plans.
The CDC/FDA decision on the J&J vaccine is set to be the focus of the weekly White House call with governors at 11am ET.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) April 13, 2021
And what’s worse, the statement from the White House sounds like they’re more concerned with keeping President Biden’s campaign promise than with the long-term damage this decision has done to vaccine acceptance overall:
The 25 million+ doses of Pfizer and Moderna each week “is more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations of 3 million shots per day” to meet Biden’s goal for his 1st 100 days in office, which is 200 million vaccinated, virus coordinator Jeff Zients says.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 13, 2021
As we told you earlier, there’s a real worry that this will only increase vaccine hesitancy in America:
‘This is going to get people killed’: Nate Silver RIPS ‘public health bureaucrats’ over the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause https://t.co/BwKAOHaHVo
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 13, 2021
Dr. Anthony Facui and Zients will join Jen Psaki at the briefing today:
Updated WH guidance: Fauci and Zients will join @PressSec at her daily briefing today
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) April 13, 2021
Full statement here:
Statement from Jeff Zients: "This announcement will not have a significant impact on our vaccination plan: Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes up less than 5 percent of the recorded shots in arms in the United States to date. " pic.twitter.com/tuf4LxXtFg
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) April 13, 2021
“This is more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations of 3 million shots per day, and meet the President’s goal of 200 million shots by his 100th day in office”
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Related:
Dem Sen. Brian Schatz gets a math lesson after responding to the FDA-CDC decision to pause Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/hXQaNR662z
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 13, 2021
