A top U.S. official has said the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to vulnerable population within days of emergency use authorization (EUA), CNN reports.
What’s going on?
Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, said Tuesday that the distribution will need 96 hours, according to CNN.
- “We will start to have shots in arms within 96 hours of EUA. That’s what I believe with all my heart.”
Perna said it will take 96 hours to start putting shots in people’s arms, which he called a “herculean task.”
- “We will be able to execute this vaccine very efficiently, but more importantly, effectively,” he said.
Bigger picture
Both Pfizer and Moderna are awaiting EUAs for their respective COVID-19 vaccines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed Tuesday that Pfizer’s vaccine met the safety and efficacy criteria, as I wrote about for the Deseret News. This was a clear sign that the FDA plans to give full EUA approval for that vaccine.
- Regulators in the United Kingdom approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and started to distribute it earlier this week, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
The number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to surge throughout the United States.