The liberal media pounced on a Monday New York Times report that claimed the Trump administration didn’t buy enough of the Pfizer COVID vaccine to protect every American. While the U.S. government did only purchase 100 million doses from Pfizer, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar busted their fearmongering with the fact the White House had purchased 600 million doses over six different manufacturers. But the broadcast network (ABC, CBS, and NBC) refused to listen to reason.
Azar did his lie busting during an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt. In the lead up to the interview, Holt proclaimed that Azar had “played down concerns over potential vaccine shortages.”
“I know in the Pfizer deal the government agreed to pay for 100 million doses and perhaps 500 million beyond that. To your knowledge has the government taken the option to buy more of what now appears to be a very successful vaccine,” Holt pressed.
It was in response to that nonsense that Azar dropped the truth on just how much of vaccine the Trump administration had purchased:
SECRETARY ALEX AZAR (HHS): So, Lester, you’re correct. Across the six different vaccine manufacturers that we placed contracts with, with each of them we guaranteed the purchase of 100 million doses of vaccine so that we would have 600 million doses of vaccine across a broad portfolio.
With Pfizer we have an option to buy an additional 500 million more. I'm not able to reveal discussions around potential procurements because that's what we call procurement sensitive information. But we are continuing to work across manufacturers to expand the availability of releasable FDA approved vaccine as quickly as possible.
While Holt continued to suggest that the U.S. couldn’t buy more from Pfizer, which wasn’t true according to Azar, he tried to suggest that prioritizing U.S. citizens over the rest of the world meant officials expected shortages. “No. We are prioritizing the manufacturer of vaccine here in America and the procurement of that vaccine for the benefit of Americans,” Azar shot back.
Meanwhile, on the CBS Evening News, anchor Norah O’Donnell expanded The Times report from being just about the Pfizer vaccine to all COVID vaccine candidates. “Because there are some reports out there that the White House could have purchased more doses of vaccine but didn't,” she lied as she teed up anti-Trump White House correspondent Paula Reid.
“That is right, Norah,” Reid declared, reinforcing the lie. “The New York Times is reporting that over the summer Pfizer offered the Trump administration additional doses of the vaccine but the government declined. And now, reportedly, Pfizer cannot provide those to the U.S. because they've already been allocated to other countries.”
Interestingly, while the Trump administration was likely in talks with Pfizer over the summer, CBS was busy bashing President Trump for stockpiling glass vials for the vaccine. They complained that Trump was keeping them from the rest of the world.
For ABC’s part, World News Tonight anchor David Muir described acknowledging those 600 million does as “downplaying” concerns. “The Trump administration responding tonight and this evening, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services downplaying the news, saying they have five other vaccine candidates. But this could bring real questions,” he scoffed.
Later ABC chief White House correspondent Jon Karl tried to terrify his viewers, stating: “Tens of millions of Americans may have to wait longer -- months longer -- to receive a COVID vaccine, because, over the summer, the Trump administration passed on buying more doses from Pfizer.”
“For months, the President has touted his efforts to deliver a vaccine,” he chided as if the President had failed. Karl then boasted about the European Union buying 200 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine; only later did he note the administration invested in other vaccine candidates.
While the networks were busy falsely suggesting Trump didn’t buy enough vaccine to save the country from destruction and death, all of them covered up Biden’s top COVID advisor advocating for vaccines to be withheld from Americans and given to the world first.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
December 7, 2020
6:32:38 p.m. Eastern(…)
DAVID MUIR: And we're going to begin here with that headline late today, that Pfizer offered to sell more doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the U.S. earlier this year, but that the Trump administration said no. And now The New York Times reporting that Pfizer may not be able to get the U.S. more doses until next June because of other countries that did buy in.
The Trump administration responding tonight and this evening, a spokesperson for the department of Health and Human Services downplaying the news, saying they have five other vaccine candidates. But this could bring real questions.
(…)
[Cuts to video]
JON KARL: Tens of millions of Americans may have to wait longer -- months longer -- to receive a COVID vaccine, because over the summer, the Trump administration passed on buying more doses from Pfizer. For months, the President has touted his efforts to deliver a vaccine.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Vaccines are on their way at a level that nobody ever thought possible.
KARL: But tonight, The New York Times reports, and ABC news has confirmed, that Pfizer offered to sell the U.S. government additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine late this summer, but the Trump administration turned them down.
They decided to buy only 100 million doses from Pfizer, enough to vaccinate 50 million Americans, because a full vaccine requires two shots. By contrast, the European Union bought 200 million doses from Pfizer, with an option to buy more. Pfizer may now not be able to provide the additional doses to the United States until June.
U.S. Officials involved with Operation Warp speed tell ABC news they didn't want to buy more vaccine from Pfizer until they were sure it would be authorized by the FDA. They also say that combined with vaccines from Moderna and other companies, they will have enough vaccine to make sure that every American who wants to be vaccinated can be by the middle of next summer.
CBS Evening News
December 7, 2020
6:30:42 p.m. Eastern [Opening Tease]NORAH O’DONNELL: Plus, Great Britain prepares to administer the first vaccine tomorrow. And did the U.S. government pass up the opportunity this summer to buy more doses of the Pfizer vaccine?
(…)
6:44:37 p.m. Eastern
O’DONNELL: Paula, I want to ask you about the vaccine portion of this. Because there are some reports out there that the White House could have purchased more doses of vaccine but didn't. What do we know?
PAULA REID: That is right, Norah. The New York Times is reporting that over the summer Pfizer offered the Trump administration additional doses of the vaccine but the government declined. And now, reportedly, Pfizer cannot provide those to the U.S. because they've already been allocated to other countries.
Now, the White House is pushing back on this report. Pfizer tells CBS News it cannot comment on confidential negotiations.
Tomorrow, President Trump is expected to hold a summit to promote the vaccine but Pfizer is not expected to attend and neither is Moderna.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
December 7, 2020
7:04:19 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: The Trump administration says it is ready to set the wheels in motion for the biggest mass vaccination program in the nation's history as soon as this week. In an interview with me late today Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar played down concerns over potential vaccine shortages, and he described the first hours after the FDA approval of a vaccine.
(…)
7:05:19 p.m. Eastern
HOLT: I know in the Pfizer deal the government agreed to pay for 100 million doses and perhaps 500 million beyond that. To your knowledge has the government taken the option to buy more of what now appears to be a very successful vaccine?
SECRETARY ALEX AZAR (HHS): So, Lester, you’re correct. Across the six different vaccine manufacturers that we placed contracts with, with each of them we guaranteed the purchase of 100 million doses of vaccine so that we would have 600 million doses of vaccine across a broad portfolio.
With Pfizer we have an option to buy an additional 500 million more. I'm not able to reveal discussions around potential procurements because that's what we call procurement sensitive information. But we are continuing to work across manufacturers to expand the availability of releasable FDA approved vaccine as quickly as possible.
HOLT: So, you still have that option for the 500 million or is that window closed?
AZAR: Oh, we do still have that, that option for an additional 500 million doses.
[EDIT ALERT: Azar goes to say more but the video cut off before Holt asked another question]
HOLT: There's word that the President is going to sign an executive order tomorrow ensuring that Americans are prioritized before any further vaccine leaves the country to help other countries. Is that an acknowledgment that you may be facing a shortage of vaccine?
AZAR: No. We are prioritizing the manufacturer of vaccine here in America and the procurement of that vaccine for the benefit of Americans. But we've also been clear that once the American people's needs are met, we will have excess vaccine. We will make that available to the rest of the world.
(…)
