Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr Robert Redfield says a COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the general American public by the second quarter or third quarter of 2021.
Dr Redfield says he thought there would be a vaccine initially available sometimes between November and December, but only in very limited supply and they will have to be prioritized.
He says the vaccination would begin in November and December and then it will pick up, and it will be in a prioritized way.
He adds it will be available to first responders and those at greatest risk of death, and then eventually it will expand.
The Director says even if a vaccine for COVID-19 was released today, it would take six to nine months for enough people to get it to create immunity.
According to John Hopkins University, the US has more than 6.6 million cases with a COVID-19 death toll of 196,349.
More than 29.6 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide and more than 930,000 people have died.
