President Biden announced that by the end of May all adults in the United States will have access to a vaccine. The current vaccination rate exceeds two million doses a day. If this rate continues, herd immunity would be reached in August, according to experts. However, misinformation about the vaccine and the spread of other variants of the virus pose great challenges for a return to normalcy.
More than two million Americans a day receive at least one injection of a Covid-19 vaccine. This is the speed at which the immunization campaign is progressing in the North American country, a speed that exceeds the expectations established by President Joe Biden himself when he entered the White House.
Biden promised to administer 100 million doses of vaccines in his first 100 days in office. However, the pace has doubled, so the goal could be met sooner. The president’s new promise is to vaccinate all adults in the United States by the end of May.
At the end of this week, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for its acronym in English) revealed that more than 54 million people had received at least one dose of some vaccine and about 28 million were already fully immunized. In total, the federal government has distributed 109.9 million of vaccines to states, territories and federal agencies.
Several experts say that herd immunity will be achieved when between 70% and 90% of the population have the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. However, achieving immunity will depend on several factors, such as that new variants of the virus do not spread faster and complicate the process.
Some states expand vaccination centers
Also, they are opening new vaccination centers and increasing their capacity throughout the country, in order to respond to the increase in available vaccines. In New York, for example, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that three new mass vaccination sites will open on Friday, including the Yankee Stadium and the Javits Center in Manhattan, which will be open 24 hours a day.
For his part, Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, announced that he will open five new vaccination centers on March 17. California, New York and Texas will also open another 7 mega vaccination centers where the military in service will be administering the drugs. Many other sites will open in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, challenges continue in the face of attempts to halt the advance of the pandemic. Recently, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, decided to lift the restriction that made Mandatory use of masks and face masks. A measure that has also been adopted by Mississippi, Montana and Iowa. But these are not the only states that resist masks: 12 other states have lifted the measure or never adopted it.
On the other hand, the figures show that African Americans and Latinos, the populations most affected by the virus in the United States, are being vaccinated at much lower rates than those of white Americans. These communities face obstacles to accessing vaccines such as lack of technology to register, language barriers, lack of transportation and health insurance, misinformation on social media, and mistrust of the government and doctors, among other things. Biden has said publicly that he wants the vaccination process to be as fair as possible.
What vaccines are available in the United States?
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Studies show that it is 95% effective once the two necessary doses are applied, which must be injected 21 days apart.
The agreement that the company reached with the United States is to distribute 100 million doses of its vaccine before July 31. This drug is especially difficult to distribute and store, since it needs to be stored between -60 and -80 ºC.
A week after the Pfizer / BioNTech drug was approved, the United States also gave the green light to Moderna’s vaccine, which is 94.1% effective. You also need two doses, applied 28 days apart.
This pharmaceutical company promised to distribute a total of 300 million doses by the end of July, of which 35 million should arrive throughout the month of March. The vaccine can be stored in temperatures between 2 to 8 degrees centigrade for 30 days and at 20 degrees for a duration of 6 months.
The last approved vaccine was that of Johnson & Johnson, a drug that only needs one dose to immunize the patient and shows 63.3% effectiveness. This drug facilitates the immunization campaign, not only by requiring only one injection, but it does not need low temperatures to be preserved.
In general, the side effects that have been reported for all three drugs are tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.
Some frequently asked questions about vaccination
- How long is the protection of the vaccine against Covid-19?
The CDC says it still doesn’t know how long the vaccine’s protection against the virus lasts. However, it highlights that the vaccine prevents death, suffering and helps achieve herd immunity.
- Should we wear masks and avoid close contact even though we have already been vaccinated?
Yes. It is not yet known to what extent vaccines prevent the contagion and spread of the virus between infected people who do not have symptoms or have already had them.
- Should a person who has already been infected with Covid-19 and has recovered?
Yes. Regardless of whether the patient has had Covid-19, it is necessary to be vaccinated since experts do not know how long people are protected after being infected.
- Can a person who is infected with Covid-19 be vaccinated?
No. People infected with Covid-19, with or without symptoms, must wait until they recover before getting vaccinated.
- Can a pregnant person receive the vaccine?
Yes. A pregnant woman can be vaccinated, as there is no evidence that the antibodies created after vaccination cause any problems with the pregnancy.
- Who pays for vaccines against Covid-19?
In the United States, the federal government is offering free vaccines to all people living in the United States.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/two-million-doses-a-day-this-is-how-vaccination-advances-in-the-united-states/
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