Vaccination to begin, but the wait will be long
Pfizer vaccine at manufacturing facility in Michigan (Reuters)
What happened
Pfizerâs coronavirus vaccine was poised for federal emergency approval this week, signaling that the beginning of the end of the pandemic is at hand even as the nation reeled under record infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. The first Americans could receive vaccinations within days, and with Modernaâs vaccine up for approval next week, Operation Warp Speed officials said, doses for up to 20 million people would ship by yearâs end. The Food and Drug Administration reported Tuesday that Pfizerâs vaccine is safe and provides strong protection for people of all ages and races, starting with the first dose. âThis is a grand slam,â said Mayo Clinic researcher Gregory Poland. But a long and hard road looms, with many months ahead before most Americans are likely to get vaccinated, and no end in sight to a massive surge thatâ