The Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) authorized Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech's (NASDAQ: BNTX) coronavirus vaccine for emergency use late on Friday, marking a historic milestone for the pandemic that has infected over 16 million people and caused roughly 290,000 deaths in the United States.
The federal health regulatory agency approved the shot for use in people aged 16 and older due to the vaccine's proven efficacy of 95% in preventing severe illness and its standard safety profile. It is not yet known if the shot prevents infection or transmission of COVID-19 by those who are vaccinated.
On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (C.D.C.) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, an outside group of medical experts, voted 11 to 0 to recommend the vaccine for widespread public use.
"As COVID-19 cases continue to surge through the U.S., C.D.C.'s recommendation comes at a critical times," C.D.C. Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a statement. "Initial COVID-19 vaccines is set to start as early as Monday, and this is the next step in our efforts to protect Americans, reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and help restore some normalcy to our lives and our country."
How Will the Vaccine be Distributed?
The U.S. government, through Operation Warp Speed, has set out to accomplish the largest vaccination campaign in the nation's history. Officials stated that 2.9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot will be distributed in the first round of shipments from Pfizer's manufacturing facilities in the country.
The government has partnered with FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and the United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) to use their shipping trucks and planes to distribute the vaccine to sites across all 50 states.
The first doses are expected to be administered on Monday. The Pfizer-BioNTech shot requires two doses given 21 days apart. Officials have stated that another round of 2.9 million vaccines will be distributed to meet that efficiency timeline.
Who is Administering the Vaccine?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being distributed to U.S. health authorities, hospitals and pharmacies nationwide that have healthcare workers ready to administer the shot to priority patients.
Back in October, the federal government partnered with CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) to aid in the inoculation of staff and residents at nursing homes and other long-term health facilities.
Dr. Tom Van Gilder, chief medical officer at Walmart (NYSE: WMT) issued in a recent statement that the retail giant is preparing to administer Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations across the country. Gilder stated that Walmart is uniquely positioned to help the federal government carry out this historic vaccination campaign, with the company already having the health-care staff needed to dose millions of patients.
"With 90% of the American population living within 10 miles of a Walmart, we will play an important part in making sure those who want a vaccine can get one when they are eligible based on their state's prioritizations, especially those in hard to reach parts of the country that have recently been hit hard by the epidemic," Gilder stated.
Walmart is also working on a process that would help people keep track of their first and second dose of the vaccine.
Who Will Receive the First Doses?
The C.D.C. recommends that healthcare workers and elderly people living in long-term care facilities and staff should receive the first doses of the vaccine due to their overall vulnerability. However, state and local health officials will ultimately decide how the shot is distributed.