First 6.4 Million Vaccine Doses May Be Delivered in 3 Weeks
Within 24 hours of the FDA’s approval, Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company is expected to ship its first 6.4 million vaccine doses to be used for health care workers. The date of the first shipment is expected to be mid-December with more shots available each following week.
Gen. Gustave Perna, who oversees logistics for Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s effort to speed up treatments and vaccines, told reporters that state officials were informed on Friday night of the allocation, which is based on each state’s overall population.The amount would cover only a portion of the nation’s 20 million health-care workers, let alone the U.S. population of 330 million. But Perna said “a steady drumbeat” of additional doses will be delivered as manufacturing capacity ramps up in each successive week.
Immunization will require two doses of the vaccine given 21 days apart to be effective. The Pfizer shots present logistical problems since the vaccine must be kept ultra cold.
Moderna and Astra Zenca are two other drug companies with vaccines that may also get emergency approval by the FDA soon. About 2000 Americans a day are dying due to Covid-19.
