Twenty million Americans should be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of 2020, 50 million by the end of January and at least 100 million should be vaccinated by the end of the first quarter, Azar said at an Operation Warp Speed briefing 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,” Azar said.
Characterizing the results from the US Food and Drug Administration’s assessment of the Pfizer vaccine trial as “more good news,” Azar said people still do need to wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds and keep physical distance to stop the spread of Covid-19.
“Even as we have such a bright future ahead, we face extremely concerning trends in the spread of the virus,” Azar said. “Hospitalization rates are now at the highest they have been during the pandemic. We are so close to being able to protect millions of Americans from this virus with the vaccine. For now, we need to double down on the steps that can keep us all safe.”