The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a lethal course in the United States as positive cases continue to soar throughout the nation and people face the vast effects of this deadly virus. As airline travel rates increase over the holiday season, a continual spike in these numbers is almost inevitable. The United States has found itself in a turbulent situation due to our increasingly high numbers and death rates in comparison to other countries. The next tangible step towards recovery is the widespread distribution of a clinically trialed vaccine, which is currently a very promising aim. 

This ongoing public health crisis has left health officials in a frantic search for a new vaccine that can curb this pandemic, which has tragically taken about 1.5 million lives worldwide. The Pfizer and BioNtech companies have already produced fifty million doses of a trialed COVID-19 vaccine with a ninety-five percent efficacy rate. A final analysis of phase three concluded that Pfizer’s vaccine is effective in preventing infections and caused no serious safety concerns, which was consistent across all age, race and ethnicity demographics. Bill Gruber, the head of vaccine development at Pfizer, shared optimistic words with CBS News, stating "I've spent a career of over 35 years in vaccine development, and I can't recall ever seeing a respiratory virus for which a vaccine provided this high a level of efficacy.” This information places the United States and major European countries in an adequate position for combatting the virus. Pfizer distributes vaccination to over 165 countries; however, the United States and the more significant countries in Europe hold an overwhelmingly larger stake in their products.

 One of the more pressing questions that has arisen in recent months is when this vaccine will be ready for widespread distribution. The Pfizer company is an economic powerhouse in vaccine production as the largest sterile injectables supplier in the world, producing more than one billion sterile units per year. The company has already developed a conglomeration of comprehensive plans to support effective air and land transport as well as temperature control of this vaccine. Pfizer has three manufacturing sites in St. Louis, Kalamazoo, and Andover, while BioNTech has sites in Germany that can be leveraged for global supply. Current projections suggest that Pfizer and BioNtech will be able to produce more than 50 million vaccine doses by the end of 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. Although this vaccine is very close to gaining FDA approval, the United States is still far from our grasp of normalcy. The vaccine will first be distributed to COVID patients and healthcare workers, which will cause a prolonged period of time before commoners can access it. Although there is no way of knowing, health officials predict that the vaccine will be ready for widespread distribution in the Spring of 2021. All this considered, even after the vaccine has been widely distributed, standard COVID-19 regulations such as mask wearing and social distancing will stay in effect for at least a year. 

The United States and the majority of the world at large will most likely face another strenuous year of abiding by COVID-19 regulations as the vaccine is distributed in its first year. Although this may be discouraging to several Americans, who have already experienced an excess amount of exposure to the virus in recent months, it is important to appreciate the efficient nature of this vaccine’s production. It is incredibly crucial that people fulfill their civic responsibilities over the coming months by staying home when possible and wearing a mask. 

Works Cited

“COVID-19 Vaccine U.S. Distribution Fact Sheet.” Pfizer, 20 Nov. 2020, www.pfizer.com/news/hot-topics/covid_19_vaccine_u_s_distribution_fact_sheet.

“COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthroughs: What Happens Now?” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 30 Nov. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-breakthroughs-distribution-cost-pandemic/. 

Fox, Maggie. “Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine Was 95% Effective with No Safety Concerns.” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Nov. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/health/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-safety/index.html. 

Weiland, Noah, et al. “Pfizer Gets $1.95 Billion to Produce Coronavirus Vaccine by Year's End.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/us/politics/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine.html.