The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that President Joe Biden is not considering sharing part of the US coronavirus vaccine supply with Mexico.

On Sunday, CNN reported that Obrador was expected to ask Biden to share some of the US Covid-19 vaccine supply, according to a Mexican government official briefed on plans for the conversation. 

Ahead of a virtual bilateral meeting between Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Monday afternoon, Psaki was asked whether Biden is considering sharing part of the supply with the country. 

The press secretary said the Biden administration is focused on economic recovery and ensuring that Mexico and Canada are safe enough to open their borders to the US.

“(T)he administration's focus is on ensuring that every American is vaccinated. And once we accomplish that objective, we're happy to discuss further steps beyond that,” Psaki added.

Johnson & Johnson's single-dose coronavirus vaccine is now the third Covid-19 shot approved for use in the US, with some 3.9 million doses to be distributed as early as Tuesday.

CNN's Pete Muntean was live at a UPS facility in Kentucky as the new vaccine rolls out, answering your questions.

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President Joe Biden continues to engage with the Senate amid this week’s efforts to pass his top legislative priority, a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill. The clock is ticking to get the bill passed and signed into law before unemployment insurance expires for millions of Americans on March 14.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the White House is “evaluating day by day what the needs are” for Biden’s engagement with Democrats, as well as Republican senators that could be persuaded to vote for the package. 

Biden will be meeting via Zoom “with a number of Democratic senators this afternoon,” she said.

Her comments come after White House director of public engagement Cedric Richmond told Axios on HBO that he is still meeting with Republicans and said that “possibly, maybe even probably,” a Republican will vote for it.  

Psaki also said Monday that the White House does not intend to challenge a ruling from the Senate parliamentarian that will not allow the $15 minimum wage provision to be in the Senate version of the bill. 

A decision for Vice President Kamala Harris to override the parliamentarian’s ruling would “also require 50 votes,” and is “not an action we intend to take,” she said.

Psaki reiterated Biden’s campaign promise to raising the minimum wage and suggested they will be looking for the “best vehicle” to do so. 

The first UPS truck carrying the Johnson & Johnson vaccine just arrived at the carrier’s Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky. The company says deliveries will start Tuesday for the eastern half of the country.

More trucks carrying the vaccine are expected to arrive at the facility throughout the day Monday.

UPS says two people will unload vaccine shipments by hand onto more than 150 miles of conveyer belt where machines will sort vaccine packages in 13 minutes time. Packages will then be loaded onto UPS cargo planes along with regular, everyday packages— even though vaccine shipments are getting priority over other packages.  

UPS head of healthcare Wes Wheeler told CNN in an interview that the network has plenty of capacity to carry the new vaccine. The company has already shipped tens of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses. 

Some more context: The White House said Monday 3.9 million doses are going out in this initial wave of shipments. Johnson & Johnson said Monday the goal is to distribute 20 million doses of the vaccine by the end of this month.

Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who chairs the White House coronavirus equity task force, told CNN Monday that while there are benefits to the newly approved Johnson & Johnson single-dose Covid-19 vaccine that make it appealing for treating marginalized and hard-to-reach communities, “overall, you know, we do think that the distribution again should be even across communities.”

Over the weekend, the CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver told the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that a single-dose vaccine has an advantage, particularly in settings where a second dose “would be challenging,” and could be used to help protect the homeless, people in the justice system, and those with limited access to health care like people who are homebound or live in rural areas.

Still, to ensure that the vaccine is spread across all communities, Dr. Nunez-Smith told CNN, "we will be tracking biometrics such as zip code and social mobility to see where vaccines are going.”

Should it arise that any one vaccine is being deployed in a disproportionate manner to one community over another, Nunez-Smith said, “we’re here provide support and technical assistance to pivot and intervene and correct if and when needed.”

The White House expressed concern Monday amid ongoing issues facing many Americans who are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccines but still struggling to set up vaccination appointments, suggesting the federal government may step in to provide support to states.

“Scheduling an appointment is too difficult – remains too difficult – in too many places,” White House Covid response team coordinator Jeff Zients said during Monday’s virtual Covid briefing.

He said that “things have gotten better” in some states and localities, suggesting, “The pharmacy systems are often better at scheduling appointments."

“But overall, too many Americans are suffering frustration, taking up way too much time to schedule an appointment,” Zients said.

Despite the increase in vaccine supply and vaccination sites, Zients said the administration is looking to help states improve their website capacities, as well as “lower tech solutions that the federal government might be able to provide,” including call centers and people who can help navigate the system.

As of now, Zients acknowledged, “Scheduling remains, for far too many people, too frustrating, and we need to make it better.”

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Three more states have started allowing all or some teachers and school staff to receive the Covid-19 vaccine starting today, bringing the total to 31 states plus Washington, DC.

The additional states are Louisiana, Mississippi and Connecticut. Though some states have announced they are prioritizing teachers, vaccine availability remains a concern across the country. Several other states have announced they will open up vaccination appointments to educators later this month.

There are 19 states where teachers are still not eligible to receive the vaccine as a specific group — although some educators might fall into the current age group that state is vaccinating.

Here are the states where all or some teachers are eligible:

Here are the states where teachers are not yet eligible:

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said she is “deeply concerned” about the potential shift in the trajectory of the pandemic.

While the number of cases had been declining, the most recent seven-day average of new cases at about 67,200 people represents an increase of a little more than 2% compared to the prior seven days. The most recent seven-day average of deaths has also increased more than 2%.

Walensky said the country can stop the surge of cases in this country by wearing a mask that fits, maintaining social distance, practicing good hand hygiene and avoiding crowds.

“Please stay strong in your conviction,” Walensky said. “Continue wearing your well-fitting mask and taking the other public health prevention actions that we know work.”

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Johnson & Johnson is currently working on a booster to help its Covid-19 vaccine deal with coronavirus variants, CEO Alex Gorsky told CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Monday.