Trucks and planes loaded with Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine will soon be departing from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to hospitals around the country, following the Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization (EUA).
"We need to take a moment, I think, and just consider that we are having this mass casualty event every day here in the US, but now we have this vaccine developed in record time that can in time really save us and save our country and save the world from this awful pandemic," emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Chris Cuomo moments after the authorization.
"This is really a monumental moment for us," she added.
US grapples with highest cases and deaths: The news comes during the most difficult weeks the US has faced since the pandemic's start. Friday saw the highest number of new cases, hospitalizations and daily deaths since the pandemic's start. More than 3,300 American deaths were reported.
There are just two key steps left before vaccinations can start: a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee -- scheduled to meet Saturday morning -- must vote to recommend the vaccine and the agency must then accept that recommendation.
Then, vaccinations can begin.
Brutal months ahead: But it'll be months before most Americans will get a vaccine.
Last week, vaccine advisers to the CDC voted to recommend that both health care workers and long-term care facility residents be first in line for Covid-19 vaccines that get the green light from the FDA. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has said about 20 million Americans should be vaccinated by the end of the month, 50 million by the end of January and at least 100 million people should be vaccinated by the end of the first quarter.
Officials "remain confident," he added, that there will be enough doses for any American who wants to get vaccinated by summertime.
In the meantime, the US -- already ravaged by a rampant spread of the virus -- is projected to face brutal days ahead.
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December 12, 2020 at 04:46PM
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The latest on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccines: Live updates - CNN
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