Dr. Anthony Fauci seemed to contradict reports that the Trump administration had no plan for widespread Covid-19 vaccine rollout, telling reporters in the briefing room, “we’re certainly not starting from scratch, because there is activity going on in the distribution.”
He touted plans for community vaccine centers, pharmacy buy-in, and targeted use of the Defense Production Act, adding, “it's taking what's going on, but amplifying it in a big way.”
Earlier today, CNN’s MJ Lee reported that in the immediate hours following Biden being sworn into office Wednesday, sources with direct knowledge of the new administration's Covid-related work told CNN one of the biggest shocks the Biden team had to digest during the transition period was what they saw as a complete lack of a vaccine distribution strategy under former President Donald Trump, even weeks after multiple vaccines were approved for use in the United States. "There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch," one source told MJ.
Fauci seemed to dispute that characterization, telling reporters,
“No, I mean we’re coming in with fresh ideas, but also some ideas with the, with the previous administration, you can’t say it was absolutely not usable at all. So, we are continuing but you're going to see a real ramping up of it.”
Watch the moment: