When will a vaccine be available?
The FDA gave an Emergency Use Authorization to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, December 11. On Sunday, December 13, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published its Interim Recommendation for Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Additional COVID-19 vaccines are in development. Each vaccine is going through different studies and checks (called clinical trials) to make sure they are safe, and that they work, before they distributed and given to the public.
Visit coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccine-trials, to learn more.
Will I still need to wear a mask after I receive the vaccine?
Yes, even if you get vaccinated, we recommend you continue with the other prevention measures you've been doing, such as washing your hands, wearing a mask, staying six feet apart, and limiting gatherings.
The COVID Vaccine was developed quickly. How do I know it’s safe?
The vaccine was developed in a much shorter period of time, due to the obvious need to address the public health threat the pandemic posed to the nation. A shorter development and review time does not mean the vaccine is unsafe.
The shorter development time is the result of technology advances to map the virus’s DNA and using vaccine platforms developed for other diseases that were in place to both develop and test the vaccine. The Coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is part of a broader family of coronaviruses. It is related to the severe respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Researches have been engaged in searching for vaccines for those closely related viruses for several years, so they are not starting from scratch, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The clinical trial process was accelerated by enrolling more people in trials to enhance rapid data collection and earlier analysis of safety data for demographically diverse populations. This also sped up the FDA review process as they have been monitoring the data all along. Delivery/distribution time was shortened by allowing manufacturing to occur at the same time as instead of after, vaccine approval.
Experts and scientists from the Food and Drug Administration and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices review the vaccine development data. Extensive post-monitoring efforts will be implemented to safeguard those immunized.
Additional actions that U.S. government has taken to expedite the development and manufacturing of the vaccine include:
- Larger studies: The federal government is allowing manufacturers to conduct larger studies that allow it to reach objectives sooner than it would conducting smaller studies.
- Financial Investment: The U.S. government has made a financial commitment, making it possible for companies to manufacture large amounts of a vaccine without taking on all of the financial risks.
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration: The FDA has expedited clinical trials and is providing timely advice and interactions with vaccine developers.
Those actions have been taken under the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed which is the coordinated federal effort to produce a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19.
How will the COVID-19 vaccine work in my body?
The COVID-19 vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize the coronavirus. When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies (“fighter cells”) that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected with the virus. You get protection against the disease without having to get sick.
When enough people in the community can fight off the coronavirus, it has nowhere to go. This means we can stop the spread quicker and get a little closer to ending this pandemic.
Who will be able to get vaccinated?
Once one or more vaccines are approved, it will still take time before everyone can get it. We need to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people in the United States alone, so it will be a long process to make, distribute, and give that many doses of vaccine.
Two federal groups are working on recommendations for vaccine prioritization: the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
On Friday, October 2, the National Academy of Medicine released the “Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine” consensus study report, which includes recommendations for ensuring equity in distribution, administration, and access to the vaccine; for effective community engagement, risk communication, and strategies to promote vaccine acceptance; and for equitable global allocation. DC Health will use this report to inform our planning and thinking for how we prioritize vaccine while there is a limited initial supply.
Why we need a vaccine
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 will be one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone around you. If you are protected from getting COVID-19, you cannot pass the disease to others.
A vaccine for COVID-19 is only one of the ways to stop the spread of the disease. Because the supply of vaccine will be limited at first, doing other things to help stop the spread will be just as important as it is now. This means still wearing a facemask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, washing your hands frequently, and staying home if you are sick.
What you can do now
Continue to help slow the spread of COVID-19: Wear a mask, wash your hands often, stay 6 feet away from other people, and stay home if you are sick. Doing all of these things will help keep people healthy until a vaccine is widely available.
You can also get a flu vaccine. Flu vaccines save lives and prevent more flu during the COVID-19 pandemic. People need to do everything they can to stay healthy and not overwhelm our health care system this fall and winter. To find where you can get a flu vaccine, visit VaccineFinder and dchealth.dc.gov/flu.