All Seniors Could Get COVID-19 Vaccine by End of January, HHS Head Says

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Wednesday that all seniors, healthcare workers, first responders, and vulnerable individuals in the United States could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of January, reports Live Science . However, this hinges on having sufficient data to know that the vaccine is safe and effective. Azar said the exact time "will really be dependent on events in the trial." To obtain this information, enough people enrolled in the trial must be exposed naturally to the virus. Pfizer, which is testing one of the leading vaccine candidates, currently expects to have enough safety and efficacy data by the third week of November. Assuming the results are positive, the drugmaker will apply for emergency use authorization in the United States, according to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Even when the general public has been vaccinated, the vaccines will likely not be 100 percent effective as the Food and Drug Administration requires that the vaccine be at least 60 percent effective. "I think the public will be dismayed to know that even though they've received the vaccine, they'll have to keep wearing a mask and social distancing" until the spread of the virus is substantially reduced, cautioned Vanderbilt University's William Schaffner.