预计美国将在周一开始首次进行Covid-19疫苗接种，这是自1950年代推出脊髓灰质炎疫苗以来最紧急的大规模疫苗接种运动。
辉瑞公司周日开始运送疫苗瓶。剂量计划于周一早些时候到达全国的一些医院和卫生部门，并可能在数小时内开始给药。
联邦政府提供“ Covid-19”疫苗的行动“快速行动”（Operation Warp Speed）首席运营官古斯塔夫·佩纳（Gen. Gustave Perna）将军说，周一约有145家美国医院和其他场所将在周一接受疫苗注射，随后是周二的425次和周三的66次。
肯塔基州州长安迪·贝许（Andy Beshear）周日表示，他希望人们在周一早上开始在该州接种疫苗。其他州的医院也将开始接种疫苗，尽管可能需要一些时间来分散小瓶和培训工作人员。
由于早期供应有限，最初只有一小部分人口可以使用这些镜头。
辉瑞公司将在第一波中出货近300万剂，预计未来几周还会有更多。辉瑞公司预计到本月底将在美国提供2500万剂。
如果获得批准，另一种来自Moderna Inc.的Covid-19疫苗 可以在本月增加剂量，这可能会在本周晚些时候发生。两种疫苗均分两次接种，间隔三或四个星期。
由于最初的供应是有限的，因此第一剂量保留给医生，护士和其他一线卫生工作者，他们可能会在照顾感染患者的同时暴露于冠状病毒。
养老院和其他长期护理机构的居民也有望获得早期剂量，因为他们更容易遭受严重的Covid-19疾病和死亡。
最终，随着供应的增加，将为诸如基本工人和老年人之类的重点人群接种疫苗。
联邦官员预计，到2月或3月，大约有1亿美国人将接受针对Covid-19的免疫接种。公众可以在春季或夏季接种。
公共卫生官员一直指望有一种疫苗来帮助终结这种致命的大流行病。该病毒在最近几周激增，为每天的新病例和死亡人数创造了新记录，并促使政府对活动进行新一轮限制，以减缓传播速度。
周五，美国食品和药物管理局批准了辉瑞-BioNTech疫苗，理由是该疫苗在一项大型临床试验中可有效预防症状性Covid-19的95％有效性。上周六，美国疾病控制与预防中心的咨询委员会投票建议将该疫苗用于16岁及以上的人群。
疾病预防控制中心主任罗伯特·雷德菲尔德（Robert Redfield）周六晚上签署了委员会的建议，周日表示，他预计疫苗接种最早将于周一开始。
疫苗有望在周一到达堪萨斯州威奇托市的克里斯汀提升中心，在那里，其医疗和药学团队计划通过管理一个小瓶（足以容纳五名员工）进行初步测试，然后在周一或周二晚些时候进行更广泛的发布。九医院系统的首席执行官唐·金（Don King）。
他说，一小瓶试运行将使高管确保他们的过程顺利进行，从取出和解冻疫苗到通知员工去诊所，再给他们打针。他说，如果一切顺利，将在数小时内开始更广泛的疫苗接种。
一些医院计划在星期二或本周晚些时候开始接种疫苗。
首席运营官杰弗里·史密斯（Jeffrey Smith）博士说，位于洛杉矶的Cedars-Sinai医疗中心希望在星期一接受第一剂药物，并在星期二或星期三开始对其工人进行注射。
Cedars-Sinai将仔细进行免疫接种，因为该疫苗会引起发冷和疲劳等副作用。Cedars的设施计划错开部门内注射的管理，并且必须间隔接种疫苗，以便建议对任何即时不良反应进行15至30分钟的监控。
史密斯博士说：“这有点挑战，因为，当然，我们在应对大量患者的同时，我们需要护士来帮助管理疫苗。” “这是额外的一层复杂性。”
一位女发言人说，俄亥俄州的克利夫兰诊所预计将在星期二进行首批运货，并计划在其主要校园开始接种疫苗，然后随着供应的增加而推广到其他地区。
The first Covid-19 vaccinations in the U.S. are expected to begin Monday, kicking off the most urgent mass vaccination campaign since polio shots were rolled out in the 1950s.
Pfizer Inc. began shipping vaccine vials Sunday. Doses are scheduled to arrive at some hospitals and health departments across the country early Monday, and could start being administered within hours.
Some 145 U.S. hospitals and other sites will receive vaccine doses Monday, followed by 425 on Tuesday and 66 on Wednesday, according to Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, the federal initiative to deliver Covid-19 vaccines.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday he expects people to start getting vaccinated in the state Monday morning. Hospitals in other states are also set to begin vaccinations, though it may take some facilities longer to disperse vials and train staff.
Only a small percentage of the population will get access to the shots initially, as early supplies are limited.
Pfizer is shipping out nearly three million doses in this first wave, with more expected in coming weeks. Pfizer expects 25 million doses will be available in the U.S. by the end of the month.
Another Covid-19 vaccine, from Moderna Inc., could add to the supply of doses this month if it is authorized, which could happen later in the week. Both vaccines are given in two doses, three or four weeks apart.
As the initial supply is limited, the first doses are being reserved for doctors, nurses and other front-line health workers who may be exposed to the coronavirus while caring for infected patients.
Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities also are expected to get early doses, because they are more vulnerable to severe Covid-19 disease and death.
Eventually, as supplies increase, more priority groups such as essential workers and the elderly will be vaccinated.
Federal officials expect about 100 million Americans will get immunized against Covid-19 by February or March. The general public could be inoculated in the spring or summer.
Public-health officials have been counting on the arrival of a vaccine to help bring an end to the deadly pandemic. The virus has surged in recent weeks, setting new records for the number of daily new cases and deaths, and prompting new rounds of government restrictions on activities in an attempt to slow the spread.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Friday, citing its 95% effectiveness at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in a large clinical trial. On Saturday, an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend that the vaccine be used for people 16 years and older.
CDC Director Robert Redfield signed the committee’s recommendation Saturday night, and on Sunday said he expected vaccinations to begin as early as Monday.
The vaccine is expected to arrive Monday at Ascension Via Christi in Wichita, Kan., where its medical and pharmacy teams plan to run an initial test by administering a single vial—enough for five employees—before a broader launch later Monday or Tuesday, said the nine-hospital system’s chief executive Don King.
The one-vial test run will allow its executives to ensure their process works smoothly, from removing and thawing the vaccine to notifying employees to visit the clinic to giving them a shot, he said. Wider vaccination will begin within hours if all goes well, he said.
Some hospitals are planning to start vaccinations Tuesday or later in the week.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles expects to receive its first doses Monday, and start administering shots to its workers Tuesday or Wednesday, said chief operating officer Dr. Jeffrey Smith.
Cedars-Sinai will carefully stage its immunizations, because the vaccine can cause side effects such as chills and fatigue. Cedars’ facilities plan to stagger administration of the shots within departments and must space out vaccinations to allow for the recommended 15 to 30 minutes of monitoring for any immediate adverse reactions.
“It’s a little bit challenging because, of course, we’re dealing with a surge of patients at the same time we need nurses to help administer the vaccine,” Dr. Smith said. “It’s an extra layer of complexity.”
The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is expecting its first shipment Tuesday and plans to start vaccinations at its main campus before rolling out to additional regional sites as supplies expand, a spokeswoman said.
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