Ensuring Access to United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines

Executive Order 13962 of December 8, 2020

Ensuring Access to United States Government
COVID-19 Vaccines

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Purpose. Through unprecedented collaboration
across the United States Government, industry, and
international partners, the United States expects to
soon have safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines
available for the American people. To ensure the health
and safety of our citizens, to strengthen our economy,
and to enhance the security of our Nation, we must
ensure that Americans have priority access to COVID-19
vaccines developed in the United States or procured by
the United States Government (“United States
Government COVID-19 Vaccines”).

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States
to ensure Americans have priority access to free, safe,
and effective COVID-19 vaccines. After ensuring the
ability to meet the vaccination needs of the American
people, it is in the interest of the United States to
facilitate international access to United States
Government COVID-19 Vaccines.

Sec. 3. American Access to COVID-19 Vaccines. (a) The
Secretary of Health and Human Services, through
Operation Warp Speed and with the support of the
Secretary of Defense, shall ensure safe and effective
COVID-19 vaccines are available to the American people,
coordinating with public and private entities--
including State, territorial, and tribal governments,
where appropriate--to enable the timely distribution of
such vaccines.

    (b) The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the
heads of other executive departments and agencies
(agencies), as appropriate, shall ensure that Americans
have priority access to United States Government COVID-
19 Vaccines, and shall ensure that the most vulnerable
United States populations have first access to such
vaccines.
    (c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall ensure that a sufficient supply of COVID-19
vaccine doses is available for all Americans who choose
to be vaccinated in order to safeguard America from
COVID-19.

Sec. 4. International Access to United States
Government COVID-19 Vaccines. After determining that
there exists a sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccine
doses for all Americans who choose to be vaccinated, as
required by section 3(b) of this order, the Secretary
of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of
State, in coordination with the Administrator of the
United States Agency for International Development, the
Chief Executive Officer of the United States
International Development Finance Corporation, the
Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank of the
United States, and the heads of other agencies, shall
facilitate international access to United States
Government COVID-19 Vaccines for allies, partners, and
others, as appropriate and consistent with applicable
law.

Sec. 5. Coordination of International Access to United
States Government COVID-19 Vaccines. Within 30 days of
the date of this order, the Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs shall coordinate
development of an interagency strategy for the
implementation of section 4 of this order.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 8, 2020.