The elderly and front line medical workers will receive the treatments on a priority basis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency approval for the use of Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech’s vaccine for coronavirus treatment. The vaccine is 95% effective against COVID-19 in people aged 16 or more.
It is already in use in the United Kingdom, where the elderly are receiving the early doses to keep them safe. The first doses are expected to be administered in the United States in a few days. Older people and front-line medical workers are expected to receive the vaccine on a priority basis. In the first round, 2.9 million doses will be received by the U.S.
The U.S. is the hardest-hit country by Coronavirus
The U.S. is the worst-hit country by the novel Coronavirus. Currently, there are about 6.5 million active cases in the country. Every day, over 200,000 people are getting infected in the U.S. About 5% of the country’s population has already been infected. Nearly 300,000 people have lost their lives to the Coronavirus in the U.S.
President Donald Trump and many of his close aides have also been affected by the virus. However, they had access to experimental treatments that allowed them a faster than usual recovery.
Challenges with the vaccine
The vaccine is highly effective, but there are challenges with it. The most significant issue is that it must be stored at extremely low temperatures to maintain its efficacy. The vaccine needs to be kept under -70 degrees Celsius to maintain its shelf life. It can survive for a few days in lower temperatures while maintaining its efficacy. It can be stored in either special freezers or boxes with liquid nitrogen. The pharmacies and hospitals in the U.S. are making necessary preparations for its storage.