Cassidy calls for increased U.S. leadership in expanding vaccine access

Global access to the COVID-19 vaccine must be increased, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and a bipartisan group of more than a dozen of his colleagues. 

“We urge you in the strongest possible terms to do more to lead global efforts to end this pandemic and increase global vaccine access,” wrote Sen. Cassidy and the lawmakers in a letter recently sent to President Joe Biden. “We also encourage you to place a stronger focus on development of and access to COVID-19 diagnostics and treatments and strengthening health systems worldwide.”

Among the members who joined Sen. Cassidy in signing the letter was U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Todd Young (R-IN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

The senators pointed out that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 4.9 million deaths worldwide and that the COVID-19 vaccines currently approved and authorized are a crucial tool to ending the pandemic. 

“We are deeply concerned about the inequitable access to these vaccines and other essential supplies across the world and what that means for more avoidable infections, deaths, disruption to the global economy, and the risk of new variants,” wrote Sen. Cassidy and his colleagues.

While encouraged by recent steps taken by the United States to increase global vaccine access, including the recent convening of the Global COVID-19 Summit and the commitment to achieving 70 percent global vaccination by September next year, the senators wrote that “more significant U.S. leadership, urgency, and accountability is essential for a more effective global response to the pandemic.”

The senators requested that the COVID-19 Response Team provide additional information to Congress on how the United States will continue to respond to increase vaccine availability globally, including how the U.S. will ensure that the vaccine targets outlined at the global summit are met, and how the administration is working with manufacturers to improve transparency for vaccine orders and deliveries, among several other items.

“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the urgent need to accelerate the administration’s efforts to address COVID-19 on a global scale in person with your staff,” they wrote.