States’ Pleas for Vaccine Rollout Cash Rejected by HHS Chief

States have enough money to distribute a future Covid-19 vaccine, HHS Secretary Alex Azar said Monday, contradicting his own CDC head and state officials.

States “do not have a need for additional funding for the rollout of the vaccine program. They actually have received funding for this. They have plenty of resources to manage the vaccine distribution program,” Azar said at a Milken Institute event.

State health officials stressed the need for more federal funds on a call earlier Monday hosted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“Without more federal funding, this is like setting up a ...