Surgeon General discusses COVID vaccinations: “The finish line is in sight”

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) -- U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, says he hopes 100 million Americans can access the COVID-19 vaccine by February. This comes days after Pfizer rolled out its vaccine to health care workers in hospitals across America. Adams says he expects “highly effective” options to be on the market to the public soon, as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are nearing emergency use authorization from the FDA.

“The finish line is in sight. It’s not that far away. We just need to hang on a bit longer,” said Adams.

He outlines an ambitious timeline for the nation, less than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, in the clip below:

Adams says he expects vaccine distribution to make a dent in this pandemic “almost immediately” as the initial reports estimate the vaccines are more than 90-95% effective. As members of the public raise concerns about vaccine safety when the medications were developed so rapidly, Adams says he believes they will be safe for the public. “This will be the most highly-scrutinized vaccine in history,” said Adams. You can watch more of his take on vaccine safety in the video below:

Friday, Adams, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Second Lady Karen Pence, will publicly receive the COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to build faith in the process. Meantime, Adams says it is important people continue receiving flu vaccines, to lessen the chances of overcrowding hospitals amid alarming COVID-19 surge around the nation.

Adams emphasizes Americans consider keeping up with CDC guidelines, which he says are constantly being updated, with the holiday season underway. He says folks should consider limiting gatherings to their immediate households. If there are travel plans, he recommends self-quarantining before spending time with others, social-distancing, and maintaining hand-washing and using hand sanitizer to stay healthy. He reviews key guidelines in the clip below:

With nearly 75 million cases of COVID-19 reported globally, Adams says now is a critical time for everyone to be cautious, as he remains hopeful that society can return to normal as COVID-19 vaccines begin mass distribution. If those plans stay on track, Adams expects American life can resume some sense of normalcy in June. From mask-wearing, to social distancing, to other COVID-19 safety precautions, you can hear him explain in the video below why there may be another half year of precautions in place:

Copyright 2020 Gray DC. All rights reserved.