The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed most people’s lives, including how we do business and interact with one another. Most people shut their businesses as others lost jobs. The announcement of a COVID vaccine came as a relief to many people around the world. But, there is a problem – the vaccine rollout hasn’t been as effective as most people expected. The big question now is when will the COVID vaccine be available to everyone?
If you haven’t received the vaccine yet, read on to learn when you are likely to get it.
Who Is to be Vaccinated First?
Who is to be vaccinated first depends on various factors, including the vaccine’s availability, the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) recommendations, and the individual state’s vaccination plan.
Most countries worldwide, the United States included, are experiencing a limited supply of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) has advised local, state, and federal governments regarding the priority for giving out the vaccine.
Different states have created a vaccination plan outlining the categories of individuals to receive the vaccine first. Even with such plans, the CDC recommends much focus on healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. This group forms the first phase – Phase 1a – of the vaccination process.
Phase 1b of the vaccine should be given to essential frontline workers and people over 75 years of age. Phase 1c targets individuals between 65 and 74 years, residents aged between 16 and 64 years but have known cases underlying medical conditions other essential workers.
So, is there a particular time the vaccine will be available to the general public?
The expansion of the vaccination process to the other groups will depend on the availability of the vaccine. Thus, how soon you will get vaccinated remains unknown, especially if you do not fall under the first recommended groups.
Status of the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
The United States of America, under the states’ current plans and the federal guidelines, has availed the vaccine to a select category of people, including the nursing home residents and health care workers. The other groups expected to receive the vaccine include the older Americans aged 65 years and above and a limited group of essential workers.
How fast the vaccine gets to the general public is dependent on the speed of the rollout. Even as it remains unclear when everyone will get the vaccine, a lot is changing. Each day, about 1.2 million US residents are getting their first vaccine dose or the second. The country has currently recorded around 22 million people who have received their first shot, which puts it at a significant position of hitting a 75% vaccination rate by early 2022. Thus, if the current rate is anything to go by, then it would take up to the summer of 2022 to vaccinate everybody in the US.
Whereas the country is looking forward to a higher vaccination rate, a one-dose vaccine could play a significant role in speeding up the vaccination process. The current vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer have to be administered in two doses, split into weeks. Several other companies, including Johnson & Johnson whose vaccine has recorded a high-efficiency level, are gearing up to a one-dose vaccine. With such a vaccine, it would be easy to vaccinate everybody within a short time.
Final Thoughts
The primary goal is to have everybody vaccinated. Given the prevailing variables, there remains no particular date when this goal can be achieved. However, how soon will the COVID vaccine be available to everyone is subject to its production and the availability and approval of other vaccines.
Even as you wait for your turn to get vaccinated, have you thought about getting health insurance cover? Get in touch with Health Solutions Team for a reliable and affordable health insurance plan customized to your specific health needs.
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