US Vaccine Chief: "Vaccinations to Start from Next Month 11... Herd Immunity Expected by May Next Year"

Pfizer Vaccine to Begin Administration as Early as the 11th of Next Month
20 Million People Vaccinated by Year-End, Then 30 Million Monthly Thereafter

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United States is expected to begin vaccinating its citizens as early as December 11, according to the White House's chief official for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. There is even hope that herd immunity could be established by May next year if more than 70% of the population gains immunity after vaccination, potentially ending the COVID-19 crisis.

On the 22nd (local time), Moncef Slaoui, the chief of the White House's vaccine development team 'Operation Warp Speed,' stated in an interview with CNN, "Regarding the emergency use authorization submitted by Pfizer on the 20th, the FDA's vaccine advisory committee meeting will be held on December 10," adding, "Vaccinations for the public are expected to begin as early as the next day, December 11 or 12, immediately after approval." Earlier, Pfizer announced that the Phase 3 clinical trial results of the COVID-19 vaccine, jointly developed with Germany's BioNTech, showed 95% efficacy, and promptly submitted an emergency use authorization request to the FDA.

Slaoui said, "If about 70% of the population gains immunity, herd immunity can occur," and added, "According to the current plan, herd immunity could be achieved around May." He further explained, "About 20 million people will be vaccinated first by the end of this year, and then approximately 30 million people can be vaccinated each month thereafter." Previously, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that Pfizer could produce about 20 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the year.

However, even if vaccinations begin, there are concerns that the majority of the public will only get vaccinated if trust in the vaccine is established first. According to the Washington Post (WP), a Gallup poll released on the 17th showed that 58% of Americans said they would receive an FDA-approved vaccine, while 42% said they would not.

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CBS on the same day, "If only about 40-50% of people get vaccinated, it will be difficult to establish herd immunity," emphasizing, "We will disclose all information about the vaccine very transparently, and since it has received emergency use authorization with an independent advisory committee, it is safe and effective."

The spread of COVID-19 in the United States shows no signs of slowing down. According to Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 statistics, as of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the U.S. reached 12,189,797, with a total of 256,533 deaths. CNN reported that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. has reached a record high again, with approximately 83,227 patients currently hospitalized. Starting from the Thanksgiving holiday on the 26th, about 50 million people are expected to travel, raising concerns about more than 500,000 additional infections, which is 1% of that number, according to CNN.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.