US cuts COVID-19 research funds; says 'vaccine stockpiles to be maintained for winter'

The White House, on Wednesday, announced to cut the funds from the COVID-19 response, citing a stalemate on new money. According to the statement released by the White House, the decision was taken to shift money to vaccines and treatments, rather than investing in research on next-generation vaccines.

It said that the Biden administration has been left with no choice but to cut back on orders of at-home rapid tests that have supported a domestic manufacturing base for easy diagnostic tests. 

"The administration is forced to scale back funding for research and development of new COVID-19 vaccines. Also, it is forced to limit orders of personal protective equipment in an effort to maintain some stockpiles of vaccines and treatments for Americans heading into the winter," according to the statement.

As per the details of fund bifurcation, $5 billion will be spent on buying updated vaccines, $4.9 billion on additional 10 million courses of the Pfizer treatment, and $300 million for buying more monoclonal antibody treatments.

Further, the administration reiterated that there will only be enough money available to provide treatments and vaccines to some people and appealed to Congress to act to furnish sufficient funds to ensure vaccines for all who might want or need them. “The administration has to act because Congress won’t,” the White House said in a statement.

Biden administration has been warning of fund crisis for months

"These trade-offs we are being forced to make because of Congress will have serious consequences on the development of next-generation vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, domestic vaccine production capacity, stockpiling of PPE and the procurement of tests and testing supplies for federally qualified and community health centres," it added.

Further, it said that if it doesn’t act swiftly to secure vaccines, other nations will lock in their own places in line ahead of the US. It is worth mentioning that the US government has been highlighting the fund crisis for quite a long time. It has warned of the potential for rationing and other tough measures if Congress doesn’t act swiftly to deliver extra funding, saying that it would cost lives as people’s immunity from booster doses or prior infection wane.

Image: AP