The US Expects COVID-19 Vaccinations to Begin Next Month (Dec 2020)

After 11 months of loneliness and despair, the world finally received some good news.

Two Covid-19 vaccines in the US have been found to be over 90% effective in clinical trials, paving the way for mass inoculation programmes across the world.

First, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced that their experimental vaccine was more than 95% effective.

Then, shortly after, Moderna announced that its experimental vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing Covid-19.

This is great news not just for the US, but the rest of the world, as it could be the key to ending this pandemic once and for all.

The question on everyone’s mind after the announcement, of course, was when will it be ready for public use?

Well, it might be much sooner than we thought.

The US Expects COVID-19 Vaccinations to Begin Next Month (Dec 2020)

A mass vaccination programme could begin in the US early next month, as infections continue to spike across the country.

With it being the hardest hit nation, a vaccine could put an end to the massive outbreak which has already claimed over 255,000 lives.

Once the vaccine is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the plan is to ship it to immunisation sites within 24 hours, said Moncef Slaoui, head of a federal vaccine development programme.

If the vaccine is approved early enough, a mass inoculation programme could potentially begin on 11 or 12 Dec.

Both Pfizer and BioNTech have already applied to the FDA for emergency use approval, and are waiting for a response.

Given that both vaccines are around 95% effective, which is well above the usual FDA threshold for emergency use, it will likely be approved.

According to Al Jazeera, FDA vaccine advisers will meet from 8 to 10 December to discuss approving the new vaccines.

At the moment, the US has 12,588,661 cases of Covid-19, with the country recording its highest ever daily tally last Friday – 204,179.

Herd Immunity by May 2021?

Speaking to CNN, Slaoui said that herd immunity may be possible by May 2021, provided 70% of the population have been vaccinated.

Simply put, herd immunity occurs when a large group of people is immune to a disease, making it hard for the disease to spread further.

There is one impediment to this plan, however: anti-vaxxers.

For the unacquainted, the anti-vax brigade is a growing movement in the US who are opposed to vaccines because they believe that they are not safe for their children.

It should be noted that their beliefs are not grounded in science, but in conspiracy theories.

This led to the worst US measles outbreak in a generation in 2019.

In September, a poll showed that 5 in 10 Americans were not willing to get the vaccine. That number has since gone down to four, meaning only 60% are willing to get vaccinated.

Unless that number increases, herd immunity simply won’t be possible.

No Adverse Effects

Typically, if a vaccine has any adverse effects, it would show within 40 days.

Both trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have gone on for 60 days, and no serious adverse effects have been reported.

While it hasn’t been officially announced yet, it’s likely that health care workers will be the first group to receive the vaccine, followed by the elderly.

Countries around the world are also working out plans for global distribution as other vaccines are being developed.

We’re so close to normalcy I can almost taste it.

Reader: What does it taste like?

Airplane food and a beer at the bar.

Featured Image: angellodeco / Shutterstock.com