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WASHINGTON (AFP) – If the launch of Covid-19 vaccines progresses smoothly, it might be possible to achieve widespread immunity of the population in the United States by next summer, said scientist Anthony Fauci.
In an interview with WebMD that was published on Wednesday (December 23), the infectious disease official suggested that people could have weddings in June or July.
Fauci said he believes that priority populations such as nursing home residents, healthcare workers, critical workers, the elderly, people at high risk, etc., should receive their vaccinations by March or early April.
“We could start in April to do what I call ‘open season’ in vaccines, that is, anyone in the general population who wants to get vaccinated will get vaccinated.”
He continued: “By the time we get to mid to late summer, I think we will have, if we do it right, we could have 70 to 85 percent of the population vaccinated.
“When that happens, there will be an umbrella of protection across the country.”
When asked if people who had postponed their weddings until March or April 2021 would have to postpone them again, he replied, “You know, they should have done it until June, July.”
Fauci’s comments come after the US licensed two vaccines for emergency use, one from Pfizer and BioNTech and the other from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health.
Also Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that it had purchased an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and that the injections would be delivered in July.
That brings the current supply of the Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to 400 million doses, half from Pfizer and half from Moderna, allowing it to immunize 200 million people with the two-shot regimens.
“Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will deliver at least 70 million doses by June 30, 2021, and the balance of the 100 million doses will be delivered by July 31, 2021,” the defense department said. it’s a statement.
The deal includes options for an additional 400 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
The United States expects to immunize 20 million people this month, with long-term care residents and healthcare workers at the front of the line.
On Sunday, a committee of experts said that people 75 and older should be the next vaccinated along with 30 million “essential front-line workers,” including teachers, supermarket clerks and police officers.
Governments are also expecting more products from vaccine manufacturers to be approved, with Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca expected to be next in line.
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