World -- and insiders -- losing patience with Biden on vaccines
Now, however, the rest of the world wonders where Biden’s promised assistance is. And for that matter, so do members of his own administration:
It’s not just other “global allies” who have been left in the dark over Biden’s plans to impress future historians. The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond and Tyler Pager hear from people inside Biden’s administration that they have no idea what Biden plans to do, other than provide some instant reaction to pressure:
Now, however, the rest of the world wonders where Biden’s promised assistance is. And for that matter, so do members of his own administration:
“History is going to measure whether we’re up to the task. I believe we are,” Biden said on Jan. 21, unveiling a seven-goal, 200-page plan that he vowed would curb the virus here and abroad while preparing for future pandemics.
But almost four months later, the last of those seven goals — a vow to “restore U.S. leadership globally” detailed in 11 pages of that nascent plan — remains the subject of intense debate within the administration and of growing concern overseas, with officials still wrestling over how to fill in the many blanks in Biden’s plan as cities in India run out of space to cremate their dead.
Global allies want more clarity on how the United States plans to share its resources, know-how — and especially, its growing vaccine stockpile. Advocates say there’s no time to waste, pointing to virus surges crippling India and other countries that collectively reported more than 5 million cases in the past week.
It’s not just other “global allies” who have been left in the dark over Biden’s plans to impress future historians. The Washington Post’s Dan Diamond and Tyler Pager hear from people inside Biden’s administration that they have no idea what Biden plans to do, other than provide some instant reaction to pressure:
Even some administration officials concede that Biden’s recent decision to support the developing world’s petition for a vaccine-patent waiver, which drove a wedge with drug companies that sped hundreds of millions of doses to inoculate America and is unlikely to boost supply this year, shows the risk of dribbling out tactics, rather than setting out a comprehensive strategy to help vaccinate the world.
“Where is the plan?” asked one Department of Health and Human Services official involved in the coronavirus response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. “The waiver is not a plan.”