Vaccinations could begin toward the end of December, Fauci says

As Moderna announced its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease doctor, said vaccinations could begin next month.

Moderna plans to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for authorization of its vaccine soon after it accumulates more safety data later this month.

Fauci says he expects the first Covid-19 vaccinations to begin “towards the latter part of December, rather than the early part of December.”

Initially, there won’t be enough vaccine for everyone. The highest priority groups — which include health care workers, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, —will get the vaccine first.

“I think that everybody else will start to get vaccinated towards the end of April,” Fauci said. “And that will go into May, June, July. It will take a couple of months to do.”