IMPACT Applauds Representative Krishnamoorthi’s NOVID Act Which Calls for Bold U.S. Leadership on COVID-19

PHILADELPHIA -- IMPACT is proud to support the Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate (NOVID) Act, which was introduced on the House floor today.

“The United States can and must be a global leader in the fight against COVID, that means fighting for global vaccine equity,” says Neil Makhija, Executive Director of IMPACT. “This pandemic has devastated the lives of millions at home and abroad. COVID-19 anywhere is a threat to citizens everywhere. Ending the pandemic should be a nonpartisan goal and Congress needs to quickly pass the NOVID Act.”

The NOVID Act, sponsored by Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and co-sponsored by Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), would allocate $34 billion to a Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program to lower the risk of new and dangerous variants from reaching the United States. The NOVID Act would work alongside international partners and host countries to vaccinate at least 60% of the population in the 92 low-and-middle income countries currently enrolled in the COVAX program. Additionally the bill calls for a rapid increase in vaccine manufacturing capabilities to facilitate herd immunity in COVAX countries.That is the kind of response we need to truly defeat this virus.

“Despite the progress we’ve made here at home, the coronavirus continues to devastate other parts of the world, and these outbreaks represent a threat to Americans with an increased risk of double and triple mutation variants which the vaccines we have today may not be able to stop,” says Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “That’s why I’m proud to join with my colleagues in introducing this legislation to protect our country from new variants by helping our partners abroad vaccinate their populations, end their outbreaks, and prevent new variants from emerging within their borders or reaching ours. So long as COVID-19 continues to thrive anywhere, it’s a threat to everyone everywhere, and that means we need the global response the NOVID Act would provide.”