Prognosis
Covid Funding Is Drying Up, White House Warns U.S. Lawmakers
- All money so far is allocated or spent, document shows
- HHS seeking $30 billion to prepare for new variants or waves
A Covid-19 testing site in Cleveland, Mississippi.
Photographer: Rory Doyle/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Biden administration is warning lawmakers that the U.S. doesn’t have enough money on hand to respond to future Covid-19 variants, stockpile vaccines or develop new technologies.
Funds for pandemic response -- including testing, vaccine distribution and other medical supplies -- have been either spent or set aside already for purchases, according to a Department of Health and Human Services document obtained by Bloomberg News. All funds provided so far have been spent or earmarked for use.