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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called on top U.S. health officials Tuesday to guarantee that a Covid-19 vaccine — once one is developed — be made available to all Americans regardless of their ability to pay for it.
At a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing with the health officials testifying remotely, Sanders grilled FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir about whether it is fair to assume that people will have free access to the coronavirus vaccine.
“I certainly hope so. The FDA is very committed to making sure that all populations in the United States, including those most vulnerable are included in the clinical trials,” Hahn said before Sanders interrupted him.
“That’s not what I’m asking,” the Vermont independent said via video conference.
Sanders, the ranking minority member of the committee, said he wanted to make sure the vaccine would be available for all people in the U.S. and that they will not have to pay for it “in order to profit the drug companies.”
“Are you guaranteeing the American people today that that vaccine will be available to all people, regardless of their income?” Sanders clarified.
Hahn responded that the FDA does not have authority over the cost of vaccinations, but added he would take the Vermont senator’s concern to the agency’s Covid-19 task force.
“I share your concern that this needs to be made available to every American,” Hahn said.
Sanders then turned his attention to Giroir of HHS, asking whether Giroir thinks “poor people” and “working people should be last in on the vaccine.”
“They should gain access to it,” Giroir said. “I don’t control, you know, I think …” he continued before Sanders again cut in.
“You represent the administration that makes that decision,” Sanders said.
“I will certainly advocate that everyone is able to receive the vaccine regardless of the income or any other circumstance,” Giroir said after a slight pause.
Sanders also questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert who is leading the nationwide response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fauci confirmed that the number of coronavirus-related deaths is likely higher than the current calculations and also addressed how the U.S. is prepared to respond if the virus has a second wave in the fall or in the winter.
Fauci said “the possibility does exist” for the infection to have a resurgence in the coming months, but seemed confident the country will have sufficient testing capability, personal protective equipment stockpiles, workforce capacity and contact tracing to limit and confine the virus.
“I hope that if we do have the threat of a second wave, we will be able to deal with it very effectively to prevent it from becoming an outbreak, not only worse than now, but much much less,” Fauci said.
“It’s such a highly transmissible virus,” he added. “It is likely that there will be virus — somewhere on this planet — that will eventually get back to us.”
The testimony from the top health officials leading the Trump administration’s coronavirus response comes as some states have decided to reopen their economies and as negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on the next Covid-19 stimulus package have been paused until late May or early June.
And while President Donald Trump has issued a plan called Opening Up America Again, which lays out guidelines for state officials to consider in reopening for business, Fauci told lawmakers Tuesday that if the country opens up too quickly it could lead to unnecessary illnesses.
On Monday, Mark Levine, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, said it would be unrealistic to assume a coronavirus vaccine would even be available in a year and that it is more likely that antiviral medication will be available in 12 months time.
“I think people are often being sometimes falsely misled, other times just having a false sense of hope, that that vaccine would be readily available,” Levine said during the press briefing.
Levine is optimistic that antiviral therapies will make great leaps forward in the coming months and will be used as effective treatments while people wait for the vaccine.
The health commissioner added that Vermont is one of the states the federal government has notified that will be receiving a shipment of the antiviral drug, Remdesivir, that has been found to be effective in shortening the duration of Covid-19 symptoms.
“Our hospitals in Vermont will, this week actually, have access to that medication,” he said.
On Monday, Gov. Phil Scott announced his administration will begin a “gradual reopening” of the retail sector starting on May 18.
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