The United States has received Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccines' initial doses, which would total to 50 million doses by 2020's end. Still, questions surround whether who would receive the immunization shots. A limited number of shots are allocated to the priority list, including government officials and health workers, with UNICEF saying that the public would have to wait.
Coronavirus has plagued the entire world with its deadly airborne virus that acts like flu, with the country getting hit with one of the most severe cases than the rest of the world. The race to procure vaccines and have them approved had initial breakthroughs with Pfizer and BioNTech's recently emergency use approved vaccine with 95 percent efficacy.
One would think that with the shot's arrival, all problems would be over. However, that is not nearly the case as dilemma now looks into the allotment of COVID-19 vaccine shot's limited number and list of who will get it first. The crisis on the vaccine's stocks and doses are real, and the soon-beginning vaccination in the country has people asking, "Who will get vaccinated first?"
According to the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF, the general public would probably have the following year's shots, 2021. People should expect several months to wait until the first batch of general or mass vaccination occurs.
Yes, it would be a long and grueling wait for the mass public, especially since the vaccine is there and available for everyone. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the vaccine last Friday, December 11, with only 25 million shots by the end of the year. The total number of shots can only vaccinate 12.5 million people as a booster shot, along with a follow up are required by the company.
Read Also: First COVID-19 Vending Machine Can Remove the Need for Five Medical Workers!
US Total Population and Vaccine Doses Needed by the Country
According to the United States Government's Census, there are 330 million people in the country and counting. The initial stocks of the vaccine could only cover a small fraction of the country's total. That would be given to priorities in the list, including government officials, health workers, frontliners, at-risk patients, the elderly, and people that are vulnerable to the virus.
The 330 million people need twice the dosage's count, meaning that Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine should have 660 million doses to complete the United States. Those are the numbers needed for the country's current census, which adds and deducts every day.
How Much Would the Vaccine Cost?
Nowadays, no things in life come for free. The same saying applies to COVID-19 vaccinations that would soon come for the public. According to CNet, the federal government would pay for the dosage's fee, meaning that the vaccine would be free for everyone. However, the vaccination would come with a minimal administration payment.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this would be the case in some private hospitals. Still, in public healthcare systems, some organizations or charities may offer an entirely free vaccination.
Related Article: FDA Passes Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines, Announces High-Risk Groups to be Vaccinated First
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Alonzo
