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Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar predicted on Tuesday that there would be enough Covid-19 vaccine for general public immunization campaigns by spring 2021.
In an appearance on the TODAY show, Azar described what he said was the schedule for the distribution of experimental vaccines from Pfizer and other companies, none of which are approved, but Pfizer said on Monday that his vaccine was over 90% effective in preventing coronavirus infection.
Azar said the pharmaceutical giant was preparing to deliver 20 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine per month by the end of November.
Azar predicted that there would be enough vaccine to inoculate residents of at-risk nursing homes, healthcare workers and first responders by the end of January and that there should be “enough for all Americans by late March to early April have general immunization programs. “
Azar also touted the FDA’s emergency use clearance for Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody, a treatment for people at risk of developing serious effects from Covid-19.
Around the world and in the United States, coronavirus cases are skyrocketing, with more than 50 million cases to date.
The United States has led the way with 10 million cases and nearly a quarter of a million deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic earlier this year.
In a statement on Monday, Pfizer said it plans to deliver up to 50 million doses of its experimental coronavirus vaccine in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion in 2021.
Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News on Azar’s forecast for vaccine distribution in the United States.
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