Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar predicted Wednesday that enough vaccine to prevent the respiratory illness COVID-19 would be available for the general public by late March or early April.
''By the end of March to early April, [there should be] enough vaccine for all Americans who would want to take a vaccine,''Azar told a briefing for reporters, Time reported.
Six clinical trials are being conducted under the federal program ''Operation Warp Speed''with two candidates — made by Pfizer and Moderna — nearing the end of the clinical trial process.
Dr. Jay Butler, the deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested that based on the progress of the trials that the initial doses would be available by the end of the year.
''We’re cautiously optimistic that vaccines will be available, although in limited quantities, before the end of 2020,'' Butler said.
Azar said there would be enough doses to vaccinate all senior citizens, health care workers and first responders by the end of January.
Also at the briefing, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, explained the agency’s change to its description of whom is at high risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
After previously describing those vulnerable as someone who has had ''close contact'' – that is, within six feet – of an infectious person for at least 15 minutes, it has altered that to include people who have had multiple brief interactions with an infectious person, totaling 15 minutes or more in the span of 24 hours.
''It’s based on data that one didn’t have four months ago, but it is data now that we have,'' Redfield said.
He also denied suggestions that President Donald Trump has required the CDC to change its guidelines or information regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus, defending his agency as a ''science-based, data-driven service organization.''
''We’re not an opinion organization,'' Redfield said. ''If we get data that supports a change in our recommendations, then those recommendations will be changed.''
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