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Why Did the U.S. Turn Down Vaccine Doses?

From the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration said it was committed to ordering and stockpiling enough potential vaccine doses to end the outbreak in the United States as quickly as possible. But new reporting from The Times has revealed that Pfizer, the maker of the first vaccine to show effectiveness against the coronavirus, tried unsuccessfully to get the government to lock in 100 million extra doses. Today, we investigate how the Trump administration missed that opportunity and what the repercussions might be. Guest: Sharon LaFraniere, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. You can read the latest edition here. Background reading: U.S. officials had the opportunity to secure enough doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to inoculate most of the country — at no upfront cost to the government. Instead, they turned down the offer.With a smaller-than-expected order from the United States, Pfizer turned to fulfilling orders from other countries, like Britain, which began vaccinating people this week.
Duration
26m
Broadcast on
10 Dec 2020
Audio Format
other

From the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration said it was committed to ordering and stockpiling enough potential vaccine doses to end the outbreak in the United States as quickly as possible.

But new reporting from The Times has revealed that Pfizer, the maker of the first vaccine to show effectiveness against the coronavirus, tried unsuccessfully to get the government to lock in 100 million extra doses.

Today, we investigate how the Trump administration missed that opportunity and what the repercussions might be.


Guest: Sharon LaFraniere, an investigative reporter for The New York Times.


For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. You can read the latest edition here.


Background reading:

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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This podcast is supported by TikTok. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries are the ones you weren't looking for. That happens every day on TikTok. A science experiment can spark a whole new interest. A recipe you stumble upon can become a meal you make for the people you love. And a restaurant you've never heard of might become your new favorite spot. That's the thing about TikTok. Follow your curiosity and see where it leads. Your next discovery is waiting on TikTok. Hey, it's Michael. We know that 2020 has been a difficult year, but it's also been a year of small victories, personal milestones, and moments of joy. If something good happened to you, we want to hear about it. So write us an email or better yet, send us a voice memo to [email protected]. That's [email protected]. And tell us your story of good news this year, large or small. And thank you. From New York Times, I'm Michael Bobaro. This is "Daily." ♪♪ Today, from the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration said it was committed to ordering and stockpiling enough vaccine to end the pandemic as quickly as possible. But new reporting from the Times raises questions about whether it has actually done that. I spoke with my colleague, Sharon LaFranier. ♪♪ It's Thursday, December 10th. ♪♪ So, Sharon, tell me about this tip that you got. So it was on Saturday. I think I was playing bridge on my phone with the robots, which is how we spent Saturday nights now, right? Right. And I got a call from another New York Times reporter, mutual friend of ours, saying, "I have heard this about Pfizer. You need to call this guy. Here's his name. Here's his number. Tell him you know me." And so, I called the guy.

Transcription truncated.

From the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration said it was committed to ordering and stockpiling enough potential vaccine doses to end the outbreak in the United States as quickly as possible. But new reporting from The Times has revealed that Pfizer, the maker of the first vaccine to show effectiveness against the coronavirus, tried unsuccessfully to get the government to lock in 100 million extra doses. Today, we investigate how the Trump administration missed that opportunity and what the repercussions might be. Guest: Sharon LaFraniere, an investigative reporter for The New York Times. For an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, subscribe to our newsletter. You can read the latest edition here. Background reading: U.S. officials had the opportunity to secure enough doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to inoculate most of the country — at no upfront cost to the government. Instead, they turned down the offer.With a smaller-than-expected order from the United States, Pfizer turned to fulfilling orders from other countries, like Britain, which began vaccinating people this week.