Coronavirus Digest: Trump Orders Priority Vaccine Access For US

The US president has signed an order to ensure US citizens are prioritized in the distribution of US-made vaccines before other countries. They will also receive the doses for free. 

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, which his administration says will ensure that "Americans receive priority access" to the new coronavirus vaccines procured by the US government before they are made available to other nations.

A senior administration official confirmed that the vaccine will be given for free to US citizens.

"No American will have to pay a penny out of his or her pocket," the official told reporters on Monday.

The Trump administration said it is confident the US will have enough doses of vaccine to inoculate everyone who wants it by mid-2021.

The executive order also sets up a framework for US government agencies to help other countries procure the vaccines once domestic demand is met. There is also a plan to donate vaccine doses to poor countries.

The order, in line with Trump's "America First" policy, was signed during a summit on Operation Warp Speed — the White House's vaccine program.


However, it remains unclear how the order would be enforced. 

On Tuesday morning, Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser for the vaccine program, was unable to explain the order to ABC's "Good Morning America."

"Frankly, I don’t know, and frankly, I’m staying out of this," Slaoui said. 

"We feel that we can deliver the vaccines as needed. So I don’t know exactly what this order is about," he added. 

At the summit, the administration explained its distribution strategy and educated the public about the vaccines, attempting to instill confidence so that people agree to be inoculated when doses are available.

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