U.S. President Buys More Vaccines – And The Latest On State Distribution

On Feb. 11, President Joe Biden announced his administration has finalized deals to buy another 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer-BioNTech by the end of July 2021. The purchase would boost the country’s total supply to 600 million doses – or enough to vaccinate every U.S. adult.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Feb. 8 about 32.3 million U.S. residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including about 9.5 million people who have been fully vaccinated. The federal government has delivered about 59.3 million doses to states, territories, and federal agencies.

As a reminder, vaccine guidance and action plans vary by state and local jurisdictions and are constantly evolving. Littler Law Firm has provided links to state agency websites, vaccine allocation plans, and other guidance related to vaccine rollout, as well as basic vaccination plan phases.

Additionally, on Feb. 11, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a COVID-19 Vaccines Digital Resource Center to help business leaders and trade associations navigate vaccine questions. The webpage contains state-specific information, guidance for developing an employer vaccine communication and strategy, and the latest data on vaccine safety.

In related news: as NBC News reported, the U.S. government has said individuals who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within the past three months do not need to quarantine if they are exposed to a person who tests positive for COVID-19.