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Pallone Announces New Jersey will Receive Over $5 million for Vaccine Preparedness and COVID-19 Testing

December 16, 2020

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that New Jersey will receive over $5 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve the state's vaccine preparedness and COVID-19 testing capacity. The state will receive $4,096,616 through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for vaccine preparation and $1,806,500 through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act for COVID-19 response activities.

"The coronavirus pandemic demands a public health response that is proportional to the magnitude of this crisis. This funding will help us respond to the pandemic from multiple angles by ensuring that New Jersey is ready and able to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to the general public quickly while also continuing the testing and contact tracing, and other public health activities that are so critical to mitigating the spread of the virus," Pallone said. "The distribution of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines will be one the largest vaccination campaigns in our country's history, which is why states must have the resources and support they need to quickly and equitably distribute the lifesaving vaccines. I will continue to fight for the resources we need to end this devastating pandemic."

As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone has advocated for a substantive plan to address the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic directly, including COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and a national vaccine plan. In October, Pallone led a letter to the Trump Administration calling on the President to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccines are effectively and equitably distributed in the state. Last month, he also called on the Trump Administration to expand testing capacity in New Jersey in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases.