Commodities

New York Gov. Cuomo asks to buy directly from Pfizer


New York Governor Andrew Cuomo delivers remarks on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Riverside Church in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 15, 2020.Andrew Kelly | ReutersNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo asked Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Monday for the ability to buy Covid-19 vaccine doses directly from the company.The request comes after an alarmingly slow start to the national vaccine rollout, with the country millions of injections short of the Trump administration’s initial projections. As of Jan. 15, the U.S. had distributed more than 31 million doses and administered just over 12 million. Health officials had hoped to inject 20 million Americans by the end of 2020.Cuomo, a Democrat, blamed the Trump administration for failing to send enough vaccine doses to his state. This week, he said, New York would receive 250,000 doses — 50,000 fewer than the week before.In his letter to Bourla, Cuomo suggested Pfizer should be able to sell directly to his state, bypassing federal agencies, since Pfizer is “not bound by commitments that Moderna made as part of Operation Warp Speed.””The company’s decision to opt out of Operation Warp Speed, which the Biden administration plans to overhaul, puts it in a unique situation that could help us save lives right here in New York,” Cuomo wrote.Representatives for Pfizer and for the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.WATCH: How the coronavirus vaccine works and why Americans should trust it

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