After nine months, the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the FDA and is getting ready to be shipped. Also, the Moderna vaccine is working on getting approved.

Vaccine Doses 

 Each adult needs to get two doses, each three to four weeks apart. Participants in the Pfizer vaccine testing efficiency rate rose 95% after the second dose, so the two doses are necessary. According to The New York Times, “At least 40 million doses (enough for 20 million people) should be available from Pfizer and Moderna by the end of the year, and much more will come in 2021”. 

Who Will Get The Vaccine First

There are not enough vaccines available for everyone yet, so the people who need it most, will get it first. According to The New York Times, the first people to get the vaccine will be health care workers and people in long-term care facilities, followed by essential workers, then adults with underlying medical conditions and people over 65, and then all other adults. The general public is likely to start getting vaccines by April 2021. There is no confirmation on when the children will get the vaccine, because the vaccine has not been tested on children. The vaccine is tested on adults first for safety. 

Vaccine Transportation 

The vaccine might take a while to transport. This is because the vaccine needs to be stored at minus 95 degrees Fahrenheit. But Pfizer has a plan. Pfizer has created special container to store the vaccine. Each container holds 1,000 doses, and the container has a tracking device that monitors its location, temperature, and movement. The container’s temperature also goes below minus 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Vaccine Side Effects 

One thing people are wondering about is the side effects of the vaccine. According to The New York Times, “In the Pfizer study, about half developed fatigue. Other side effects occurred in at least 25 to 33 percent of patients, sometimes more, including headaches, chills and muscle pain”. Out of 44,000 test participants no health concerns were reported. 

It’s only a few more months until the public gets vaccinated, and hopefully it will help bring the COVID-19 pandemic to a close.