Article written by Berkeley Lovelace Jr and Noah Higgins-Dunn
During a WH press conference on Tuesday Sept. 17/2020, President Trump announced that the United States Government could start distributing a COVD-19 vaccine as early as October.
Speaking in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House yesterday during a late afternoon press conference, the POTUS briefed reporters on the ambitious vaccine timeline.
“We’re very close to that vaccine as you know and I think much closer than I think most people want to say,” Trump said during the press briefing. “We think we can start some time in October. So as soon as it’s announced we’ll be able to start.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the CDC, spoke at Senate hearing on Wednesday outlining his expectations for a vaccine. He believes that vaccinations will begin in November or December, but will be rolled out, meaning the most vulnerable, such as the elderly and public health workers, will receive priority. In terms of the rest of the American public, Redfield expects that it would take about six to nine months for the entire American public to get vaccinated.
The CDC hopes to make the COVID-19 vaccine free for all Americans.
U.S. markets seemed un-affected by the announcement as the DJIA was down 200 points this morning, while the S&P tumbled nearly 1.5% and the NASDAQ down 2%.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the U.S.’s leading disease experts, has said it would be conceivable for a vaccine to be released by year-end, but would be unlikely that it would be entirely safe and effective.
The anticipated vaccine will require two doses, and will face a plethora of logistical challenges, specifically organizing distribution sites and materials needed for immunization (syringes, bottles, etc.)
In a recent poll done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 42% of Americans said they would want a vaccine, much lower than the 60% to 80% needed to achieve “herd immunity”.
More for the rest of us …
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