The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced two upcoming actions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide more than HHS’s funding of $22 billion 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.
Funding will provide critical support for testing and vaccination-related activities to jurisdictions before January 19, 2021.
HHS’s Funding
More than $19 billion will be allocated to jurisdictions through the existing CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) cooperative agreement. These awards 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.
Over $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. 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.
“On top of the substantial support we’ve already provided, the funding bill signed by President Trump in December has billions of dollars in new funding for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “We’re making these billions in new funds available to states as quickly as possible to support our combined efforts to end the pandemic.”
CDC Supplemental Funding
To date, CDC received COVID-19 supplemental funding through three congressional acts:
- Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-123): P.L. 116-123 provided $2.2 billion to CDC to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19 domestically and internationally.
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136): P.L. 116-136 provided CDC $4.3 billion and ATSDR $12.5 million to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19 domestically and internationally.
- Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (P.L. 116-139): P.L. 116-139 provided $1.0 billion to CDC transferred from the Public Health Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF) to support surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity expansion, contact tracing, public health data surveillance and analytics infrastructure modernization, disseminating information about testing, and workforce support necessary to expand and improve COVID–19 testing. In addition, $10.25 billion from the PHSSEF was awarded to health departments through the CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program for testing and contact tracing.
- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260): P.L. 116-260 provided $8.75 billion to CDC to plan, prepare for, promote, distribute, administer, monitor, and track coronavirus vaccines to ensure broad-based distribution, access, and vaccine coverage. On behalf of HHS, $19.11 billion from the PHSSEF was awarded to health departments through the CDC Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity program for testing and contact tracing.
“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.”
