Pence Discusses Priority Vaccination Groups with Governors
Health Authorities Join Talks... Distribution to Begin Immediately After Review on the 10th
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Vice President Mike Pence announced that the distribution of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine could begin after the 14th of this month. On this day, Vice President Pence reportedly met with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and governors to discuss vaccine delivery issues and priority vaccination groups.
According to foreign media including Bloomberg News, on the 30th (local time), Vice President Pence held a video conference with Secretary Azar and governors regarding vaccine delivery issues and vaccination matters related to priority groups. At this meeting, Vice President Pence told the governors, "The vaccine distribution process could start from December 14." Secretary Azar, who attended the meeting, announced, "Vaccinations with the two vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will begin before Christmas."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to discuss the emergency use authorization of Pfizer's vaccine on the 10th and review the emergency use authorization of Moderna's vaccine on the 17th. On this day, Moderna announced that it had applied to the FDA for emergency use authorization, citing a 94.1% immune efficacy result from its Phase 3 clinical trial.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said, "I heard that Pfizer's vaccine will arrive in Ohio by the 15th," adding, "It was a very happy meeting." According to COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University on this day, the cumulative confirmed cases in the U.S. reached 13,540,684, with cumulative deaths at 268,023. Over 4 million confirmed cases occurred in just the past month, showing that the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. is raging fiercely.
Vice President Pence emphasized, "The federal government will support all distribution plans chosen by each governor." Bloomberg News pointed out that, contrary to Vice President Pence's remarks, the written briefing of this meeting released by the Trump administration did not specify the exact timing for the start of distribution.
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