US to distribute 6.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in first tranche – Manila Bulletin

The United States plans to distribute 6.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first week after it is authorized for emergency use, which will likely be next month, authorities said Tuesday.

A committee of the Food and Drug Administration meets on December 10 to decide whether to green light the drug.

General Gustave Perna, director of operations for the government’s Operation Warp Speed, told reporters that around 40 million doses of vaccine would be available by the end of December.

That figure includes another vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, which announced some preliminary efficacy results last week and is also close to requesting emergency approval.

Pfizer vaccine has ultra-cold long-term storage requirements of -70 degrees Celsius, and the company has developed special containers with dry ice to keep it fresh for up to 15 days.

Perna said 64 jurisdictions in the United States, including all 50 states, territories like the capital Washington and Puerto Rico, and Indian reservations, received their assignment numbers on Friday.

The amount they receive will be proportional to the size of their population.

The federal government will issue recommendations on who should be prioritized, likely older, high-risk and frontline workers, but local authorities will make the final decision for themselves.

Vaccinations will begin in nursing homes within 48 hours of emergency approval, Health Secretary Alex Azar said. The government has partnered with CVS Health for the retirement home program.