Administration expands availability of COVID antiviral pill

By ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration is taking steps to expand availability of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid. The administration is trying to reassure doctors that there is ample supply for people at high risk of severe illness or death from the coronavirus. Paxlovid is produced by Pfizer and was first approved in December. Supply of the regimen was initially very limited. But as COVID-19 cases across the country have fallen and manufacturing has increased, it is now far more abundant. White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha says the administration wants to make the treatment available to anyone who needs it.