Though great scientific advancements have been made, this week we have mourned half a million Americans tragically lost to COVID-19. This number represents a family member, a neighbor, a friend, a coworker. And, sadly, more loved ones will join them as COVID-19 ravages our country until the vast majority of Americans are immunized, and we are assured of protection from emerging virus variants.
Turning vaccines into vaccinations has been incredibly chaotic. So much of the spread of infection and the rising death toll could have been prevented by effective federal leadership, guided by expert scientific counsel. It is truly incredible that our country could have the highest percentage of deaths of any place in the world. President Trump engaged in extraordinary overpromising and underdelivering-you’ll recall he promised 100 million vaccine doses by New Year’s Eve, later reducing that to 20 million and then failing to deliver even close to that many doses, much less getting that many vaccinated. To date, many health care workers and long-term care residents in Phase 1A have still not been vaccinated, while many of those in 1B are anxiously seeking to locate vaccines.
President Biden was left without any immunization plan, without tracking of where vaccine had been distributed, without sufficient vaccine, and with what can only be described as a colossal mess. Today’s hearing is focused on the path forward now that we have safe and effective vaccines, and a humane Administration offering leadership as a federal partner in the immunization effort.
In little more than a month, President Biden has begun stabilizing vaccine production and distribution and increasing supply. New federal initiatives include FEMA-led mass vaccination hubs across the country, a direct to pharmacy distribution partnership, and a direct partnership with community health centers for underserved patients. More transparency is needed on how sites are selection and when and where doses arrive.
For each of us, concern for vaccine access begins at home. In my part of Texas, we are still not where we need to be. Too many vaccine providers remain unsure when and how many doses they will receive from the State. Unable to get on one central registry, seniors wait anxiously-trying to get added to the list of every provider in the area, and/or they find themselves waiting in very long lines. For many, appointments are only available online-barring access to anyone without broadband or tech literacy. For homebound seniors and individuals with disabilities in Austin, mobile vaccine deliveries are not yet occurring. A message from San Antonio: “I am 89 years old, a dialysis patient with impaired immunity, and still unable to get vaccinated. Phone calls, internet, same result no." Vaccination sites also remain concentrated in wealthier, predominately white neighborhoods, making it difficult for those who have borne the greatest infection burden to access shots. For too many, the State of Texas has been an obstacle-at the Alamodome in San Antonio, equipped to be a mass site, Governor Abbott remains unresponsive to repeated calls for consistent supply.
As President Biden recognized in creating the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, the pandemic burden has not been shared equally. Nationally, Latinos are more than three times more likely to be hospitalized, and 2.3 times more likely to die from this virus as compared to Anglos. Yet only 3% of Latinos have been vaccinated in both Texas and nationally.
The American Rescue Plan, which the House is debating as we conduct this hearing, offers important resources to address these inequities and to accelerate our progress in assuring efficient vaccine distribution.
While wonderful to have safe and effective vaccines, taxpayers have an interest in knowing the terms of the agreements made to obtain them, what we have paid, and what it will cost in the future. The Trump Administration hid all that it could about these secret agreements as the Congress appropriated billions and billions for vaccines and treatments with essentially no limitations on how that money is expended.
Today, in a bipartisan, bicameral initiative, I have filed together with 40+ House sponsors and Republican Senator Mike Braun and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, the Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge (TRACK) Act, as a strong new oversight tool to disclose how billions of public funds are being used-information any angel investor would demand. This would encourage accountability, reasonable pricing, and a sufficient vaccine supply, recognizing potential periodic immunization like the flu shot or with booster shots for evolving variants.
While too many still wait for vaccine, others wait in fear-hesitant to be vaccinated. Our witnesses will explore factors contributing to that hesitancy including that generated by anti-vaxxers, who reject the sound science underlying vaccines and promote conspiracy theories. Failure to immunize, like failure to wear a mask and engage in social distancing and other safety practices, will result in even more infection and death while delaying our containment of the virus. We must directly rebut this anti-science message.
At the same time, when millions are vaccinated, we must be forthright that a very small portion will experience some impairment, and for them, just compensation must be available. In 1986, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established for that purpose, and it has compensated an average of 1 of every 1 million vaccine recipients for an injury. Most of these rare injuries relate how a vaccine is injected rather than to the vaccine itself. I will be introducing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act to improve this important consumer protection program so that in the extraordinarily rare instance of injury from our new vaccines, reasonable and expeditious compensation will be available.
Many other challenges remain that will be addressed today by our panel. The American Medical Association, whose leadership must have enjoyed Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “Hamilton," call their immunization campaign, “this is our shot." Our goal today is to ensure that we make the most of our country’s shot to defeat this virus.
Thanks to our witnesses for sharing your insights about the best path forward and to all of my colleagues participation for your concern and differing perspectives that you bring to this critical issue.
