The top science adviser with Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's private-public program fast-tracking the development of a COVID vaccine, anticipates the first batch of Americans will receive shots as early as Dec. 11.
Around 70% of Americans need to be immunized to achieve "herd" immunity from the coronavirus - a target the government could hit by May, Dr. Moncef Slaoui said.
The objective is to deliver vaccines to inoculation sites within 24 hours after approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Slaoui said.
Plans call for 20 million Americans to be immunized by December and another 30 million each month following that - with hopes the U.S. will see some degree of normalcy as early as May, Slaoui said.
U.S. health experts expect the administration to approve a vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner Biopharmaceutical New Technologies SE in what would be the biggest vaccination campaign in the country.
An administration advisory panel will evaluate Pfizer's application Dec. 10, the agency said. Pfizer said its experimental vaccine was 95% effective against infection from the respiratory disease.
The first immunizations are expected to be given to front-line health workers and emergency personnel followed by the most vulnerable - including the elderly. Children likely won't get the vaccine until the middle of next year, Slaoui said.
A Gallup, Inc. survey last week found 58% of Americans believed it would get a COVID vaccine and 42% said it wouldn't.
The U.S. has more than 12.2 million COVID infections with more than 256,000 deaths, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. Worldwide, more than 58.5 million cases have been reported with nearly 1.4 million deaths.
Biotechnology company Moderna, Inc., is expected to seek separate administration emergency use approval later in December for its potential COVID treatment. Several other companies are progressing with vaccines.
