Vice Presidential Pool Reports of February 25, 2021

VPOTUS #1 -- holding and background

Good morning. Pool is in a holding room on the second floor of a Giant supermarket in Southeast DC. Vice President Harris is expected just before 9 a.m. for a vaccine event. The details are below. The supermarket parking lot is partially blocked off and the aisles are full of police and Secret Service and there was a metal detector on the way in. But shoppers were allowed to enter, and there are a few walking around now.

BACKGROUND FOR THE VP'S EVENT THIS MORNING

Today, Vice President Harris will travel to a local pharmacy to promote the Administration's Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination. President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to ensuring that the hardest hit communities have access to the vaccine in their own communities – including at their local pharmacies. Through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, last week alone the Administration increased distribution from 1 to 2 million doses to 7,000 pharmacies across the country. Over the last 5 weeks, we have seen nearly a 70 percent increase in vaccine allocation.

At the visit, the Vice President will highlight the partnership between the federal government and local pharmacies. She will meet with pharmacists to check on the status of the program and encourage people to get vaccinated.

Tackling COVID-19 is a top priority for President Biden and Vice President Harris. Their goal is to get more shots in the arms of Americans as equitably and efficiently as possible. This visit builds on the Vice President's efforts to highlight the Administration's broader dedication to encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated:

• Vice President Harris took her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at United Medical Center in Southeast D.C.
• Her first visit to a federal agency was the National Institutes of Health, where she and the Second Gentleman received their second dose of the Moderna vaccine.
• Vice President Harris's leadership in the Senate on COVID-19 and equity was foundational to the Administration's COVID-19 Health Equity Taskforce to ensure that all Americans have equitable access to the vaccine.
• Vice President Harris continues to advocate for the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which puts $160 billion towards a national vaccination campaign – so we save lives and build capacity to fight the virus.

Background on the Federal Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccinations:

• A critical component of the Biden-Harris vaccination strategy is creating easily accessible places for Americans to get vaccinated.
• Millions of Americans turn to their local pharmacies every day for their medicines, flu shots, and much more.
• And pharmacies are readily accessible in most communities, with most Americans living within five miles of a pharmacy.
• Starting on February 11:
  • The federal government began to deliver vaccines directly to select pharmacies across the country.
  • This provides more sites for people to get vaccinated in their own communities.
  • And it is an important component to delivering vaccines equitably.
• This pharmacy program will expand access in neighborhoods across the country so people can make appointments and get their shots conveniently and quickly.
• The retail pharmacy program has performed well so far, despite also being impacted by the weather.
  • Last week, we increased the allocation from 1 to 2 million doses, with about 7,000 stores participating nationwide.

VPOTUS #2 -- no news vaccine event

Vice President Harris spent about a 25 minutes at Giant grocery store pharmacy, along with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, the DC health commissioner. The centerpiece was a discussion with a pharmacist and the inoculation of a customer, 69-year-old Brenda Thompson, highlighting issues of access and hesitancy. She also spoke about the side effects from her own vaccine for the first time. The speaking portion lasted about 15 minutes – Harris addressed employees and held the rest of the time. I'll provide some color and quotes but please feel free to reach out of there is something specific. Harris did not respond to shouted questions about Neera Tanden or whether the administration would do more to increase access to vaccines for people who have trouble using the Internet.

Event details:

Harris arrived at about 9:10. She began mostly out of pool's earshot addressing more than a dozen employees and a few shoppers near the center of the checkout area. "We're going to get through this," she told them, before thanking them "on behalf of a whole lot of folks" whose names they may not know but whose lives "you are making a whole lot better." (She also spoke in the same location on her way, out of pool's earshot.)

In between, she came over to a corner of the store in front of the pharmacy, not far from a gleaming bin of orange juice, a frozen pizza case, and an endcap holding various types of bagged rice and quinoa. She and the public officials stood socially distant from Samir Balile, a pharmacist and clinical program manager for the Giant chain, who answered questions. She mostly asked him about how he is administering the vaccine, the types of challenges he is having and what kind of conversations he is having with customers, especially people who aren't sure whether they will take it.

Balile said supply to pharmacies like his, and to community centers where they are traveling, is helping to eliminate barriers. "We're going to them," he said, emphasizing the need for people to get advice from people who look like them, including local pharmacists and pastors.

"There have been many theories about populations that are experiencing vaccine hesitancy for legitimate reasons that are based on historical experience that we should never forget," Harris said, before asking a question about the overlap between access and hesitancy.

"We have people lining up all day," Balile said. "This is the easy part"

"The next phase," when more is available, will be crucial to educate people and let them know what to expect, including side effects, Balile said.

"You get a shot. Then you get another shot," Harris said laughing.

Harris then described her own experience, still laughing: "The first dose, I was fine. The second dose I thought I was fine, got up early in the morning, went to work, and then midday, I realized. Yeah, I might I might need to slow down a bit."

"Just that one day, and then it was fine," she added.

Balile: "If you're hearing it from somebody else and you're really apprehensive about it, I can understand why might be reluctant to get it right away. And so I think that's why community pharmacists… using that platform to kind of have that conversation -- and you may not get them the first time -- you know, constantly just having that conversation and reinforcing the importance of the vaccine."

Harris then asked Nesbitt what is working and what is not. Nesmith said DC activated pharmacies early to give shots to healthcare workers, using that to learn about logistics and other back-end issues. She talked about "maximizing the partnership" as things ramp up in pharmacies, rec centers, churches and other places.

"In terms of the vaccine access and vaccine hesitancy pieces, that we had a lot of folks who would wait and see. And we would tell them there are millions of people who've been vaccinated so you're not the first. Right now we've got 50 million -- over 50 million people -- who've been vaccinated," Nesbitt said.

"It's critical that we prioritize vaccine access for the communities that have the hardest burden of disease," Nesbitt added

Harris said the administration had 2 million vaccines to pharmacies and 1 million to community health centers and asked Holmes Norton to talk about the $1.9 trillion rescue plan and its importance to expanding access. Norton said a big bill was important and predicted passage in the House. "God willing" Harris said of the Senate passage, laughing.

Thompson was then given her shot after Harris again talked about her experiences with the vaccine and prepared her for how it would feel. It was administered at a small table by another pharmacist, Linval Matthews, who sat with Thompson.

Harris said "it's kind of weird to do it in front of all these cameras, isn't it?"

"I'm like, will somebody come and hold my hand please?" Thompson said.

After it went into her left arm everyone clapped. Like Harris, she had the Moderna vaccine and this was her second dose.

"I get to see my great grandson," Thompson said afterward.

Harris asked how old he was and when the last time she saw him was. Thompson said he was 5 and not since the summer and that he called her and said "please come see me, please come see me."

Harris responded: "So there's so many reasons to get vaccinated, right, so we can all get back to seeing all of our family members and being together."

When the program ended, Harris exited into the vice presidential limo, which was positioned near a side exit behind a display case full of Tasty Cakes.

VP pool report #3 — gathering for Sec. Granholm swearing-in ceremony

It's Thursday evening, and your pooler is gathering for just-confirmed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's swearing in ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The event is scheduled for 5:30pm in EEOB, and I'll send along any relevant color once we're in position.

Three members of Granholm's family will attend per the White House:

Dan Mulhern (husband)
Cecelia Mulhern (daughter)
Damian Roberto Mendieta (son-in-law)

VP pool report #3 — gathering for Sec. Granholm swearing-in ceremony

It's Thursday evening, and your pooler is gathering for just-confirmed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's swearing in ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The event is scheduled for 5:30pm in EEOB, and I'll send along any relevant color once we're in position.

Three members of Granholm's family will attend per the White House:

Dan Mulhern (husband)
Cecelia Mulhern (daughter)
Damian Roberto Mendieta (son-in-law)

VP pool report #4 — ceremony underway AND over

VP and Sec. Granholm entered the room at 5:46pm, and the brief event concluded roughly a minute later.

"This is a good day," VP remarked as Granholm embraced her family.

WH notes: "Book is a bible from her father, who passed away last year."

The scene:
https://twitter.com/tocradio/status/1365070807920238594?s=21

Have a great evening, everyone.