As the case numbers continue to grow, so does the anticipation for a vaccine.
U.S. officials plan to release 6.4 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine nationwide in its first distribution.
Florida is now planning how to best distribute the vaccine to high-risk populations. However, it’s not known yet how many doses Florida will be getting out of that 6.4 million. But weekly, the state should be getting more and more until all who want it can get both doses.
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Operation Warp Speed General Gustave Perna is working on how to get the vaccine to the states. He said they can deliver anywhere, but distribution was based on what the team thought was fair and consistent.
Pfizer is expected to get emergency use authorization on Dec. 10th from the FDA. A day later, it will be on its way to the states and can be administered immediately.
Pfizer’s vaccine must be kept at the 70 below 0. The company has developed a container with dry ice that can keep the vaccine at the right temperature for up to 20 days.
READ: Health officials warn holiday COVID spike could further strain hospitals
Moderna is expected to follow.
Perna believes that 40 million doses of the vaccine will be distributed by the end of the year.
Officials from Operation Warp Speed said they have not settled on who will get it and when, but have a pretty good idea: The most vulnerable by Dec. 31, and January will be seniors, health care workers and first responders.
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Cox Media Group
