How the United States is organizing the first stage of its vaccination plan

While Emmanuel Macron spoke on Tuesday evening of France’s strategy for vaccination against the coronavirus, the United States is also preparing on the other side of the Atlantic. The immense logistics necessary for the distribution of millions of doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 are ready, American officials assured Tuesday, who plan to distribute 6.4 million doses as soon as the Agency receives the green light. drugs (FDA) expected in less than three weeks.

40 million doses by the end of 2020

Then “40 million [seront administrées] before the end of the year, ”said General Gus Perna, the head of operations for Operation Warp Speed, set up by Donald Trump’s government to support the development and distribution of vaccines, and which includes a strong component military and logistics experts from the Department of Defense. These 40 million also include doses of the vaccine developed by Moderna, the green light of which is also expected in December.

“We can deliver anywhere in America,” the general said. Pfizer’s first delivery will be around 6.4 million doses, he said. Pfizer has created special containers to maintain the temperature at -70 ° C with dry ice for up to 15 days.

A green light expected around December for Pfizer / BioNTech

Pfizer’s vaccine could be cleared by the FDA shortly after December 10, when the agency’s vaccine advisory committee met. “We believe we will be able to distribute the vaccine to 64 jurisdictions within 24 hours of FDA clearance,” said Health Secretary Alex Azar.

The 64 jurisdictions are the 50 US states and other jurisdictions such as the District of Columbia and territories like Puerto Rico. The federal government pays for doses manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna.

Regional distribution locations

Each of the jurisdictions will decide where the doses will be delivered: hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, etc. The states will give the list to the federal government, which will coordinate delivery in 24 hours, every week, to all the listed sites.

The distribution of the 6.4 million first doses was made in proportion to the population, according to Alex Azar. The second doses will be dispatched 21 days later for Pfizer, and 28 days later for Moderna.

Any recommendations from the federal government on priority audiences

Who will have priority? The federal government will make recommendations: probably residents of retirement homes, medical and first aid workers, and people whose pathologies make them particularly vulnerable to the virus. The following months will see an increase in production, and the government plans to have enough doses to immunize all Americans who want them in the second quarter.

But it is the state governors who will decide on the list of priority people in their jurisdictions, because the federal recommendations will not be binding.

More than 259,000 deaths from Covid-19

Vaccinations in retirement homes can in any case begin within 48 hours of the green light from the regulator, via one of the government’s partner pharmacies networks, CVS, also noted Alex Azar.

The country, the most affected in the world by the disease in absolute value, again detected 166,960 new cases in 24 hours and deplored 2,081 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University, whose continuously updated statement refers. More than 259,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States since the start of the pandemic.