 Welcome to Monday’s Overnight Health Care. There were a lot of hopeful images today of the first Americans getting a coronavirus vaccine, outside of the clinical trials. At the same time, though, was a grim reminder of the ongoing toll of the virus, as deaths passed 300,000. And the bipartisan group of senators unveiled its coronavirus relief legislation, a two-part, slimmed down version. Let’s start with the vaccine news: US begins COVID-19 vaccinations in moment of hope The U.S. began vaccinating people against COVID-19 on Monday, a sign of hope that the pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people in America and sickened millions more, will soon come to an end. The first vaccinations outside clinical trials represent a key victory in the fight against COVID-19, almost a year after the virus was first identified in the country and began its attack on American lives and the economy. Still, the good news Monday was dampened by another milestone: 300,000 dead of COVID-19, with the number of fatalities increasing every day as the country enters the darkest days of the pandemic. “Our war against the virus is not over yet but this week we’re taking a major step toward our eventual victory,” Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services, told reporters during a briefing Monday. A New York critical care nurse was believed to be the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial Monday. States have generally prioritized health care workers, nursing home residents and front-line workers for the first doses. “I believe this is the weapon that will end the war,” said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), as he watched nurse Sandra Lindsay receive the COVID-19 vaccination at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. “It’s the beginning of the last chapter of the book.” Read more here. Initial doses will be limited as manufacturing ramps up, so avoiding a shortage will be crucial. Hence: Pfizer negotiating with Trump administration for additional 100M COVID-19 vaccine doses next year Pfizer is negotiating with the Trump administration to deliver 100 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine next year, the company's CEO said Monday, but nothing has been agreed to yet. During an interview with CNN's Sanjay Gupta, Albert Bourla said the amount isn't the problem, it's working out the timeline with the administration. “We can provide them, the additional 100 million doses. But right now most of that we can provide in the third quarter [of 2021]," while the Trump administration wants them delivered in the second quarter, he said. "So we are working very collaboratively with them to make sure we can find ways to produce more or allocate the doses in the second quarter as well. But we haven’t signed this agreement yet," Bourla said. Scrambling to catch up? Bourla said Pfizer's international commitments make the second quarter deadline difficult. The administration is facing criticism for the decision not to order additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine when given the opportunity, precisely for this reason. Last week, former FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb told CNBC that the Trump administration turned down an offer to secure more doses of Pfizer’s vaccine as recently as last month. On Monday, a group of Senate Democrats asked the administration for details on their vaccine planning. Read more here.
Bipartisan group unveils two-part $908 billion coronavirus package A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday unveiled its $908 billion coronavirus relief package as Congress faces a time crunch to pass more aid. The proposal is split into two parts: One $748 billion piece includes another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) assistance for small businesses; an unemployment benefit; and more money for schools, vaccine distribution and other widely agreed upon items. The second, $160 billion piece ties together the two most controversial elements of the coronavirus negotiations: More money for state and local governments and protections for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits. "I think we've had a Christmas miracle occur in Washington," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). "These bills are not only bipartisan products, they are bicameral as well. My hope is that our hard work will spur our leadership on both sides." Read more here. US surpasses 300,000 COVID-19 deaths The United States on Monday passed 300,000 total deaths from the novel coronavirus, according to a New York Times tally, a shocking number that is certain to quickly grow larger before a vaccine is widely available. The country is now averaging about 2,500 coronavirus deaths every day, a record total. On some days, more than 3,000 people die from the virus, exceeding the toll from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. “We are in the time frame now that probably for the next 60 to 90 days we're going to have more deaths per day than we had at 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said last week during an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. Vaccinations, which began on Monday, do offer promise that the pandemic will eventually end, but the vaccine will not be widely available for several months, meaning there is still a brutal period of deaths to get through. “Tomorrow, we will cross 300,000 deaths in US from COVID-19. In January, we will pass 400,000 deaths,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, tweeted on Sunday. “Those deaths will come from infections that have already happened or will this week. Challenge is to stop spread before 500K deaths. Vaccines will help. But we can, must do more.” Read more here. And don’t let your guard down yet: Fauci warns people not to drop normal 'public health measures' as vaccinations begin Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned Monday that the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine doesn't mean people should drop "normal, standard public health measures." “A vaccine right now is not a substitute for the normal, standard public health measures of wearing a mask, keeping your distance, avoiding congregate crowded sections, and particularly indoors. It's not a substitute, it complements it. "Only when you get the level of infection in society so low that it's no longer a public health threat can you then think about the possibility of pulling back on public health measures," he said. He added during the interview that Americans shouldn't expect life to return to normal until the second half of 2021 or possibly in the months beyond. Read more here. Virtual Event Announcement: 1:00 ET Wednesday 12/16 -- COVID-19, Tech and Economic Resilience Significant advances in communication and information technology have lifted many, and buffered others, during a crushing pandemic. As a new administration prepares to take charge, which technology shifts are here to stay? How can policymaking keep pace to ensure the American economy retains its competitive edge? In the first of three virtual events, The Hill discusses the role of technology in re-energizing the American economy. Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Suzan Delbene, Janet Napolitano, Amb. Ron Kirk, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Microsoft's Fred Humphries. RSVP for event reminders
What we’re reading Hospitals scramble to prioritize Covid vaccine for their workers. Who gets them first? (NBC News) A portrait of the coronavirus at 1: how it spreads, infects and sickens (STAT) How science beat the virus (The Atlantic) Trump administration plans a rushed effort to encourage Americans to be vaccinated (New York Times) State by state 78% of those infected with coronavirus refuse to help with contact tracing in N.J. (NJ.com) A Latino doctor was the first person in Rhode Island to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Now he wants to be an example for his community (Boston Globe) Kentucky's contact tracing director on program's challenges, successes (WVXU) Op-eds in The Hill Real COVID-19 relief? Use all tools to invest in the 'care economy' Build trust in vaccines by investing in community workers Americans' health at stake: Georgia Senate run-offs decide future | 
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