WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is providing $7.4 billion to expand the nation’s public health capacity. That will mean hiring school nurses to vaccinate kids and creating a service corps around health care as well as bolstering traditional disease detection efforts. Biden administration coronavirus testing coordinator Carole Johnson said it’s part of a strategy to respond to immediate needs in the COVID-19 pandemic while also investing to break the cycle of ‘boom and bust’ financing that traditionally has hampered U.S. response to health emergencies. About $4.4 billion of the new money will go to immediate priorities in fighting the pandemic.
