[ad_1]
Trust in vaccines grows slightly, distribution faces challenges, and lawmakers are planning the next step. Here’s what you need to know:
Want to receive this weekly roundup and other coronavirus news? Register here!
Securities
Confidence grows as mRNA vaccines may soon be available in the United States
With the news for which Moderna applied emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine, and that the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech was UK approved, the United States is moving closer and closer to one vaccine, if not two, that is approved for use. Both are MRNA vaccines, which cause cells to build proteins that resemble coronavirus and thereby trigger an immune response. The UK regulator’s decision marks the first time that an mRNA vaccine has been approved for use in humans. And, aside from that, these two plans were developed on a record timeframe that some experts are hoping. become the new normal.
While only about half of American adults said they would get the vaccine in September, new research from pew found that 60% now say they would definitely or likely be vaccinated against Covid-19 today if they could.But that still leaves a significant number of Americans who say they would not get the vaccine, including many also reported that more information would not. t change your mind. This lack of confidence in vaccines could exist for a number of reasons, including long history of medical racism and the rapid spread of vaccine misinformation online. Hoping to gain the public’s trust, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton recently announced that they will all be vaccinated as soon as possible, and may even film the process.
Vaccine distribution imminent, but will not be without challenges
Preparations are currently underway to ensure that the administration goes as smoothly as possible once the vaccines are approved for use in the United States. On Tuesday, a federal advisory committee released its official recommendations who should get the vaccine first. He said the estimated 21 million healthcare workers and 3 million residents and nursing home staff across the country should have access to first doses. But at the end of the day, it will be up to the governors to make that decision on behalf of their states.
There is also the question of how quickly pharmaceutical companies can manufacture and distribute a complex new vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech had planned to produce 100 million doses for worldwide use by the end of 2020. But they announced in November that that number had been reduced to 50 million after some of the raw materials they were receiving failed to meet standards. And a study recently published by IBM found that hackers attempted to sophisticated phishing attacks against companies preparing to help transport the vaccine to the freezing temperatures needed, another wrinkle in what is already a very complicated supply chain.
U.S. Covid-19 figures reach troubling highs as lawmakers plan next stage of pandemic
The United States surpassed its Covid-19 record on Thursday hospitalizations, cases and deaths. An update CDC Covid-19 Forecast made the grim prediction that the total national death toll could reach between 303,000 and 329,000 in the next three weeks. Starting on Friday, approximately 267,000 Americans died of the disease. Meanwhile, new restrictions are in place across the country. Notably, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the strictest measures since springincluding restricting restaurants to take-out or delivery only, and asking residents to stop non-essential travel.
[ad_2]