Health and Human Services Authorizes $22B for COVID Testing and Vaccination
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide more than $22 billion in funding to states, localities, and territories in support of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On January 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide more than $22 billion in funding to states, localities, and territories in support of the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as directed by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The funding will provide critical support for testing and vaccination-related activities.
“On top of the substantial support we’ve already provided, the funding bill signed by President Trump has billions of dollars in new funding for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar in a January 6 HHS news release. “We’re making these billions in new funds available to states as quickly as possible to support our combined efforts to end the pandemic.”
According to HHS, more than $19 billion will be allocated to jurisdictions through the existing CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity cooperative agreement. These funds will support testing, contract tracing, surveillance, containment, and mitigation to monitor and suppress the spread of COVID-19. Award recipients will include 64 jurisdictions, including all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five major cities, and U.S. territories/islands. Consistent with Congressional direction, funds will be allocated by a population-based formula.
More than $3 billion will be made available in an initial award to jurisdictions through the existing CDC Immunization and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement. These awards will support a range of COVID-19 vaccination activities across jurisdictions.
“This funding is another timely investment that will strengthen our nation’s efforts to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in America,” said CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD. “Particularly now, it is crucial that states and communities have the resources they need to conduct testing and to distribute and administer safe, high-quality COVID-19 vaccines safely and equitably.”
Funding tables with jurisdictions specific award amounts can be found here:
Funding for vaccination-related activities
