US President-elect Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he will deliver 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine in his first 100 days in office. The President-elect is set to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to helm the Department of Health and Human Services. He is also set to nominate Dr Vivek Murthy to serve as US surgeon general.
Biden has developed a consultancy with Dr Anthony Biden to achieve the goal of 100 million vaccines. Besides this, he plans to make it mandatory for Americans to wear a mask for 100 days to combat the coronavirus. He also said he seeks to reopen majority of the country’s schools, but said it would be subject to the funding provided by the Congress. He said those most at risk would get the vaccines first, which included people in long-term care, educators and healthcare workers.
Biden has named Dr Rochelle Walensky as Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr Marcella Nunez-Smith as COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair, while Dr Fauci would be Chief Medical Adviser to the President on COVID-19.
“It's near the end of one of the toughest years we've faced as a nation,” Biden said, noting the announcement comes at a “critical time.” Biden called on the Congress to set aside funding for getting the vaccine to people who need it. The virus has so far claimed 286,000 American lives.
Talking of his nomination to helm the Department of Health and Human Services and for the post of the surgeon general, Biden said, "It's a team of world-class experts at the top of their fields, crisis-tested, defined by a deep sense of duty, honour and patriotism.”
Of Dr Fauci, who has often been side-lined by the current administration, Biden said, he is a “trusted, a truth-teller, a patriot”.
“Like every good doctor, he'll tell me what I need to know, not what I want to know,” he added.
Biden also said that the US administration will work hand-in-hand with the economic, national security and foreign policy teams to beat the pandemic not just in the US, but also worldwide.
Dr Fauci, who expressed he is keen to work with Biden said, “Whether it's maintaining social distancing and not congregating indoors, or the 100-day challenge you've described on masking or to get as many people vaccinated as possible, these actions are bold but they are doable and essential to help the public avoid unnecessary risks, to help us save lives, reopens schools and businesses, and to eventually beat the pandemic.”
