COVID-19 vaccines are coming soon, but you could be last in line. Here’s who will get one first

Coronavirus vaccines will soon be directed this way, but unfortunately, at first there won’t be enough for everyone. There are more than 330 million people in the U.S., but Pfizer, whose vaccine is expected to be the first to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks, says it hopes to produce enough to vaccinate about 12.5 million Americans by the end of 2020, or about 3.7% of the US population.

Other vaccines, such as one of Moderna using technology similar to Pfizer’s, it may also be licensed in the coming weeks or months, adding to the overall reserve. Regardless, most people in the US will have to wait at least several months before those who want a vaccine can get it, and it could take years to vaccinate everyone in the world.

The question then is, who will get those first doses of vaccines and how long will you have to wait to get vaccinated? So far, there are no definitive answers. Much depends on who needs more immunization against COVID-19: older adults, people with underlying conditions, etc. But another factor will be how the different vaccines actually work. For example, some single-dose vaccines might better serve one group, such as rural populations. Other groups, for example city dwellers, might be equally well protected by vaccines that require subsequent “booster” doses.

We won’t know for sure who will be first in line to receive a coronavirus vaccine until one or more are approved, but we can check the available information to get an idea. Many of the agencies involved in creating and implementing those guidelines have already begun to explain how they plan to make those decisions when the time comes.

We reviewed reports from agencies such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put together a general picture of who, according to experts, will be the first groups to receive COVID-19 vaccines and why. This article is periodically updated and is intended to be a general description and not a source of medical advice. For more information on coronavirus testing, here’s how to find a test site near you.

When will the first COVID-19 vaccines arrive? Will there be more than one?

Short answer: The first vaccine is expected soon and it seems that there will be more than one safe and effective type. Pfizer, which says its candidate vaccine is 95% effective in preventing coronavirus infections, is expected to be the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks and to begin administering doses. before the end of the year.

Moderna is not far behind and is expected to publish efficacy results in the coming days. It could get clearance from the FDA in December. Vaccines from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are completing late-stage trials, while a fifth manufacturer, Novavax, is scheduled to begin the final trial for its vaccine sometime this month.

The general consensus has been, and remains, that the first COVID-19 vaccines will likely be approved soon in the US, but will not reach widespread distribution until closer to the end of 2021. Until then, supplies are expected to be limited. , which is part of the reason we will need multiple vaccines to treat as many people as possible.

How soon after approval will vaccines begin?

“[The government] has plans to distribute vaccines within 24 hours of final ACIP approval, “Paul Mango, Health and Human Services official, told reporters in October, referring to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is the group that guides who should get the vaccines once they have been cleared by the FDA.

Who will get the coronavirus vaccine first?

Bill Gruber, Pfizer’s senior vice president of clinical vaccine research and development, told Scientific American that Pfizer’s vaccine is on its way to being distributed to healthcare workers on the front lines, as well as people at high risk. of serious illness as soon as the medicine is available. authorized, probably mid-December.

These are what the CDC identified as the four highest priority groups for receiving the first doses of COVID-19.

Health workers: Vaccinating approximately 20 million U.S. doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and other healthcare providers helps protect both the nation’s first-line COVID-19 responders and the patients they serve.

Essential workers: Approximately 87 million American workers provide the basic goods and services we need to survive. Most are unable to work from home and many jobs require interacting with the public, so protecting against COVID-19 among this population would have a ripple effect across the country while reducing critical service outages.

People with underlying medical conditions: Specifically, the roughly 100 million people with conditions that put them at high risk of illness or death from COVID-19. Any disease that affects the lungs, but also anything that can compromise a person’s immune system, such as cancer or HIV.

Older adults: The risk of serious complications from COVID-19 increases with age. The CDC’s ACIP recommends that approximately 53 million American adults age 65 and older be among the first to be vaccinated.

What if I am not in one of those groups?

The reality is that you may have to wait. America’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told Good Morning America in November that he hopes “the common citizen” can receive a vaccine in April, May or June 2021.

If the vaccine is just around the corner, how soon can I resume normal life?

Infection rates in the US are skyrocketing, with the seven-day moving average now at nearly 140,000 new infections per day and rising. Europe is entering a second phase of lockdown amid its own surge in new cases. One of the key advisers on president-elect Joe Biden COVID-19 Task ForceDr. Michael Osterholm recommended a nationwide shutdown in the US for four to six weeks to help contain the rapidly spreading virus. (President Donald Trump said Nov. 13 that there would be no shutdown under his administration.) Meanwhile, the New York City public school system is considering closing again.

In other words, we are not out of the woods yet, especially as we approach winter, when coronavirus-related deaths are expected to continue to rise. Experts agree that people leaving their homes should continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, maintain social distance and wash their hands regularly until further notice.

Shouldn’t the most vulnerable be given priority?

Before 2009, older adults and patients with underlying health conditions generally topped the lists of those who should receive the first doses of a new vaccine because, for them, getting sick could quickly become a death sentence. However, that line of reasoning began to change after a 2009 article published in the journal Science suggested that health officials dealing with a limited supply of vaccines could prevent many more people from getting sick and dying simply by vaccinating those. who are more likely to have it. to transmit a particular disease, rather than those that are at risk of becoming more ill.

That document specifically addressed H1N1, “swine flu,” and generally addressed seasonal influenza. In it, the researchers identified the largest demographic of flu spreaders as children ages 5 to 19. That’s why the CDC now recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot every year. In the case of COVID-19, experts have identified front-line healthcare workers as the group most likely to contract and therefore spread the disease, so they will be among the first to receive vaccines.

Whether or not COVID-19 vaccines are effective in stopping the spread of the coronavirus will largely depend on how our bodies develop immunity to the disease. Here’s what we know so far about whether you can get COVID-19 more than once. Testing is also key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus: learn about a device that can produce results in less than 90 minutes here. And read how all these issues and more influence Biden’s plan to fight COVID-19.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.