Podcasts Health Take as Directed Coronavirus Crisis Update: Ashish Jha Equity is All About the Ground Game.

Coronavirus Crisis Update: Ashish Jha Equity is All About the Ground Game.

Published: March 2, 2021, 2:33 p.m.

b'Ashish Jha, a determined optimist, gives the Biden administration an A- for its first six weeks. The picture today is \\u201cdramatically better.\\u201d\\xa0\\u201cA light switch went on after January 20,\\u201d when states could suddenly ask for \\u2013 and receive \\u2013 help. An \\u201cextraordinary bump-up\\u201d in vaccinations is underway: \\u201cWe have more vaccines coming than we will know what to do with.\\u201d\\xa0More needs to happen in building out testing, developing strategies for variants, and planning for when variants may escape vaccines.\\xa0\\u201cThe equity agenda is not going well.\\u201d While it may be \\u201ceasy to look like a superstar compared with Trump,\\u201d the Biden administration \\u201cneeds to lean in heavily\\u201d with its political and diplomatic power to shape the international environment to control outbreaks, bridge the dangerous vaccine gap, and increase manufacturing. Surplus vaccines will be key: \\u201cThe problem is not money, it is vaccines.\\u201d Ahead of us lies \\u201ca really good summer and fall.\\u201d\\xa0\\n\\nAshish Jha is Dean of Brown University\\u2019s School of Public Health.'