Lester Holt Confronts HHS Sec. Azar on Problems with Vaccine Rollout: ‘What Went Wrong?’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT I spoke ░░░░░░░░ this earlier with HHS ░░░░░░░░ Alex Azar who blamed ░░░░░░░░ bottlenecks on decisions made ░░░░░░░░ states I began by ░░░░░░░░ him if he agreed ░░░░░░░░ Dr Fauci that the ░░░░░░░░ has not worked as ░░░░░░░░ as hoped So we ░░░░░░░░ had tremendous success having ░░░░░░░░ incredibly effective vaccines 38 ░░░░░░░░ doses of vaccine available ░░░░░░░░ million shipped and distributed ░░░░░░░░ we re up over ░░░░░░░░ million shots in arms ░░░░░░░░ we ve had some ░░░░░░░░ overly predescriptive and restrictive ░░░░░░░░ the groups of people ░░░░░░░░ re trying to get ░░░░░░░░ out to that s ░░░░░░░░ call to action get ░░░░░░░░ people 65 and old ░░░░░░░░ get them vaccinated we ░░░░░░░░ to protect the vulnerable ░░░░░░░░ seem to be laying ░░░░░░░░ blame at the feet ░░░░░░░░ governors I ll remind ░░░░░░░░ it was the Trump ░░░░░░░░ that said 20 million ░░░░░░░░ by the end of ░░░░░░░░ We re two weeks ░░░░░░░░ the new year What ░░░░░░░░ wrong Well Lester we ░░░░░░░░ we boof doses available ░░░░░░░░ 20 million people that ░░░░░░░░ be available and of ░░░░░░░░ that was a projection ░░░░░░░░ on estimates of when ░░░░░░░░ would approve FDA approved ░░░░░░░░ close to Christmas You ░░░░░░░░ got a natural scale ░░░░░░░░ The amazing thing is ░░░░░░░░ how without a hitch ░░░░░░░░ distribution has gone You ░░░░░░░░ a pretty rosy assessment ░░░░░░░░ things but there are ░░░░░░░░ watching right now who ░░░░░░░░ in the eligibility list ░░░░░░░░ now they can t ░░░░░░░░ through on crashing websites ░░░░░░░░ can t make appointments ░░░░░░░░ phones What do you ░░░░░░░░ to those folks right ░░░░░░░░ who are at their ░░░░░░░░ end on this Well ░░░░░░░░ we are in a ░░░░░░░░ right now where we ░░░░░░░░ got 38 million doses ░░░░░░░░ 31 million distributed We ░░░░░░░░ encouraging our governors to ░░░░░░░░ these other channels of ░░░░░░░░ that people are used ░░░░░░░░ like retail pharmacy chains ░░░░░░░░ offices community health centers ░░░░░░░░ the doses to places ░░░░░░░░ are familiar with getting ░░░░░░░░ it will work better ░░░░░░░░ those situations I also ░░░░░░░░ secretary Azar about that ░░░░░░░░ Post report today that ░░░░░░░░ he announced that second ░░░░░░░░ which had originally been ░░░░░░░░ in reserve would be ░░░░░░░░ It turned out no ░░░░░░░░ reserve existed Do those ░░░░░░░░ doses exist right now ░░░░░░░░ there a stockpile that ░░░░░░░░ still out there No ░░░░░░░░ s not a reserve ░░░░░░░░ We now have enough ░░░░░░░░ that our ongoing production ░░░░░░░░ be quality and available ░░░░░░░░ provide the second dose ░░░░░░░░ people so we re ░░░░░░░░ sitting on a reserve ░░░░░░░░ We ve made that ░░░░░░░░ to the states to ░░░░░░░░ The governor of Oregon ░░░░░░░░ that regarding the promise ░░░░░░░░ more and the idea ░░░░░░░░ these reserves are now ░░░░░░░░ calling it deception on ░░░░░░░░ national scale How do ░░░░░░░░ react to that If ░░░░░░░░ doesn t want to ░░░░░░░░ when we have our ░░░░░░░░ conference when we sit ░░░░░░░░ spend an hour and ░░░░░░░░ half with the nation ░░░░░░░░ governors with the vice ░░░░░░░░ walking through the data ░░░░░░░░ about available supplies that ░░░░░░░░ just that s just ░░░░░░░░ and wanting to score ░░░░░░░░ political point Every piece ░░░░░░░░ data about this is ░░░░░░░░ transparent And during our ░░░░░░░░ I noted that it ░░░░░░░░ likely be at 400 ░░░░░░░░ Covid deaths by the ░░░░░░░░ day of the Trump ░░░░░░░░ looking back secretary Azar ░░░░░░░░ to acknowledge any possible ░░░░░░░░ in the administration s ░░░░░░░░ response.