Biden credits Trump on vaccine effort before adding program was in 'worse shape' than expected

close

Video

Fauci: By the end of the summer everyone can be vaccinated

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical adviser on COVID-19, was pressed on vaccine availability and answered questions about former President Trump on 'America's Newsroom.'

President Biden on Tuesday gave credit to former President Donald Trump’s administration for its role in getting the coronavirus vaccination process off the ground, before criticizing it over a lack of transparency.

During a briefing on his administration’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 crisis, Biden said credit was "absolutely due" to the Trump administration, as well as the medical and scientific communities.

"We want to give credit to everyone involved in this vaccine effort and the prior administration and the science community and the medical sphere … for getting the program off the ground," Biden said during a press conference on Tuesday. "That credit is absolutely due."

MINNESOTA LAUNCHES COVID-19 VACCINE LOTTERY FOR SENIORS

Biden quickly added, however, that in the final days of the transition his team discovered "the vaccine program [was] in worse shape than we anticipated or expected."

The president alluded to a lack of cooperation from the former administration.

Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election, which interrupted the normal flow of information during the transition period.

The former president repeatedly touted his administration’s efforts to fast-track an approval process for the vaccines, which were carried out in remarkably short order.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biden announced on Tuesday that, starting next week, his administration was increasing the total supply of vaccine doses distributed weekly by roughly 15% -- to a minimum of 10 million doses per week from 8.6 million. He plans to provide states, tribes and territories with a ‘reliable" three week forecast detailing the supply they can expect in order to better facilitate the process at the regional and local levels.

The president also said he expects to soon be able to confirm the purchase of 200 million additional doses from Pfizer and Moderna – 100 million apiece. That increases the federal government’s total vaccine order to 600 million.

Those additional doses, however, are not expected to be available until the summer.