COVID-19 VACCINATION UPDATE
There are now two vaccines that have applied to the FDA for emergency use approval. Pfizer and Modernahave both filed and are awaiting FDA approval. This means Covid-19 vaccinations could begin as early as next week. The speed of the development and the expected approval has reduced the development cycle to months rather than the usual years long process.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) formed an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to develop the formal guidance of people to be inoculated. These recommendations are provided to the individual states, but the final decision of distribution of the vaccine will be left to the state governors and their top health officials.
The committee has established a recommended prioritization for vaccinations.
- Healthcare Personnel
- Workers in essential and critical industries
- People at high risk for severe Covid-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions
- People 65 years and older
This first vaccinations are estimated to commence about mid-December and will continue through mid-2021. The supply line will continue to produce, with Pfizer being available in mid-December, joined by the Moderna vaccine a week or two later and both ramping up production as quickly as possible. However, the availability was anticipated, and mass production of the vaccines has been ramping up for months in advance.
“Pfizer and Moderna have estimated that they will have enough to vaccinate, at most, 22.5 million Americans by year’s end, with the required two doses, a few weeks apart. The C.D.C. will apportion the supply among the states, with the initial allocation proportional to the size of each state’s adult population.” (NYT) Production will continue to ramp up with production of 150 million doses per month in March, April and May.
The vaccine is great news, but we are still living with the threat of the virus. We must continue our basic protective steps to include…wear a mask, wash hands thoroughly and frequently, and social distance. And don’t forget to get your flu shot! The flu is a constant threat during the next few months.
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