U.S. running out of COVID funding: Bloomberg

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. administration said it lacks enough money to deal with future COVID-19 variants, stockpile vaccines or develop new technologies, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing an official document.

Funds for pandemic response -- including testing, vaccine distribution and other medical supplies -- have been either spent or set aside already for purchases, it quoted a document by the Department of Health and Human Services.

A Biden administration official said that "if Congress doesn't quickly provide additional money, the United States could once again be caught off-guard if another COVID-19 variant strikes, as it was when the omicron wave hit last year," the report said.