White House: Vaccine doses for states increased to 13.5 million a week
'The president took the steps to make sure we can vaccinate every American by the end of July,' the press secretary says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The White House said Tuesday that the administration will increase the supply of coronavirus vaccines to states per week, saying that President Biden is focused on increasing supply, the number of vaccinators and the number of vaccination sites across the nation.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday said the Biden administration is increasing its vaccine supply to states to 13.5 million doses per week -- an increase from the 10 million doses per week the White House had previously announced.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Psaki said the new 13.5 million doses being sent to states is a "57% increase" to the amount being sent on the day Biden took office last month.
Last month, the White House Coronavirus Task Force committed to sending 10 million vaccine doses per week to each state.
Psaki also told reporters Tuesday that the administration opened healthcare.gov, the ObamaCare registration site, and extended the special enrollment period through May 15.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We are increasing supply," Psaki said. "The president took the steps to make sure we can vaccinate every American by the end of July."
Psaki also said that the administration has "also taken steps to increase the number of vaccinators—people who can put shots in arms," adding that they are "ensuring that retired doctors and nurses" are those who can administer vaccines.
Psaki also said the administration has increased the number of vaccination sites across the nation, including community vaccination sites.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some critics have accused the Biden-Harris administration of downplaying the work that was done before they took office. Vice President Kamala Harris claimed in a recent interview that the Biden administration started "from scratch" on a national vaccination strategy amid the coronavirus pandemic. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said otherwise last month.
"No, we certainly are not starting from scratch because there is activity going on from the distribution," Fauci said, adding that the Biden administration "is taking what’s gone on, but amplifying it in a big way."