Couldn't Medicare form a co-op to buy a Corona vaccine from the first country to develop it?

[Captain Zero]

Then the co-op could contract with American Drug companies to just use their facilities as mass production to get it out there?

IMHO, This would be a great end-run around AZAR and all his babble about needing private investment to get it done. One of the socialist democracies in Europe is going to get there first, just have our government buy it from them.

Now. I know this is not how any Republican would do it, but maybe a Dem could campaign on it to show how capitalism is a broken wheel on fast solutions in medical innovation, especially since the Republicans have largely dismantled the CDC.

[hlthe2b]

1. The funding Congress will allocate will undoubtedly include funding for mass vaccination when

possible. That has been the case and that is CDC's purview in emerging infections/pandemic response for many many decades. Most recently with a response to H5N1 influenza, response to bioterrorism exposures, and related to that,\ the national smallpox vaccination program for at-risk workers after 911.

R's may think they can charge and profit for such interventions, but the sane among us will prevail. One can not control a mass infection with significant person-to-person transmission without vaccinating all at risk. No more than those insane racists can prevail by suggesting not vaccinating immigrant children for routine vaccine-preventable diseases.

[Hoyt]

3. Agree. The developer of an effective vaccine will get paid well, no matter what.

And they should be.

[empedocles]

2. Medicare could do that if trump gets a personal cut

[Voltaire2]

4. Medicare is forbidden by law from doing anything other than transferring funds

from us to pharma companies.