HHS Ready for Pfizer Vaccine Distribution Ahead of FDA Approval: Azar

With drugmaker Pfizer expected to receive endorsement by a panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers for its COVID-19 vaccine this week, the federal government is about to put into operation its delivery of millions of doses across the United States.

"Based on current production schedules, we expect to have enough doses to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of this year, fifty million total by the end of January, and at least one hundred million total by the end of the first quarter," said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar Wednesday.

"We remain confident that across our portfolio of multiple vaccines, we will have enough doses for any American who wants a vaccine by the end of the second quarter of 2021."

It's not clear who will receive the very first dose in the U.S. Azar said he would be willing to receive the first vaccination to show Americans it is safe and effective.

"I've made clear publicly to the media and otherwise, that I will gladly get the first shot, first vaccination, just to demonstrate the American people my supreme confidence in the integrity of the process, the quality of the vaccines, and that I wouldn't ask the American people to do something that I wouldn't be willing to do myself," Azar said.

British regulators warned that people with a history of serious allergic reactions shouldn’t receive the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while they investigate two adverse reactions on the first day of the country’s mass vaccination program.

"As in the UK, the expectation would be that subjects with known severe reaction, allergic reactions, should not take the vaccine until we understand exactly what happened here," said Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief science adviser to the government's vaccine development program, called Operation Warp Speed.

About 50% of people will take the new coronavirus vaccine, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.

While about 25% of U.S. adults aren’t sure if they want to get vaccinated, taking a wait and see approach.

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