Pence tells governors coronavirus vaccine distribution could begin in two weeks - CBS News

Some doses of the COVID-19 vaccine could begin to be distributed as early as mid-December, Vice President Mike Pence told the nation's governors during a conference call with the White House Coronavirus Task Force Monday.

"We strongly believe the vaccine distribution process could begin as soon as the week of December 14," Pence said, according to audio of the call obtained by CBS News.

"With this morning's news that Moderna is joining Pfizer in submitting an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), we continue to be on pace.".

The meeting agenda obtained by CBS News says the first vaccine deliveries, by Pfizer, are planned to take place on December 15, and the first Moderna vaccines are estimated to be delivered on December 22. .

The week of December 13 - 19, Pfizer plans to be ready to deliver 6.4 million doses, enough to vaccinate about 3 million people, since they will require two shots, and some undetermined number are reserve or backup vaccine doses.

The following week, Pfizer and Moderna are expected to produce enough to vaccinate another 10 million people.

Anthony Fauci, vouched for the vaccines and said that the approval process, though accelerated, "does not at all compromise safety, nor does it compromise scientific integrity.".

"The data that came out today from Moderna indicated 30 severe outcomes, all of which occurred in the placebo, none of which occurred in the vaccines," Fauci said.