That’s assuming the vaccine gets all the necessary federal approvals, Cuomo said during a press conference in Albany. New York also has its own panel of experts that will review the vaccine.
“The goal line is in sight,” Cuomo said. “It depends on us — how many people get vaccinated, how quickly.”
The first delivery of the vaccine will be enough for 170,000 New Yorkers. Initial doses will be prioritized for people like health care workers and seniors in nursing homes, Cuomo said.
The first allocation will come from the federal government and is based on the state’s population.
Later in the month, New York expects additional deliveries of the vaccine from Pfizer and one from Moderna.
Both companies revealed promising results from the clinical trials of their vaccines in November. Pfizer said its vaccine may be 90% effective at stopping the virus and Moderna said its shot is over 94% effective.
Both vaccines require two doses.
By the end of December, the federal government estimates 40 million doses, enough to vaccinate 20 million Americans, will be available nationwide, Cuomo said.
That’s good news, but it’s just the beginning, he added.
Experts estimate 75% to 85% of people will need to be vaccinated before the economy can return to something approaching normal, Cuomo said. Estimates for when that will happen range from June to September.
The initial doses that will be available this month will be enough for just 6% of the country, Cuomo noted.
He repeated his calls for more federal funding to help states distribute the vaccine and said again extra work will be needed to ensure the shots reach minority communities. He also said widespread skepticism on the vaccine remains.
It’s why New York is using its own panel to review its safety and effectiveness, he said.
“The FDA and this administration created the cynicism,” Cuomo said. “If people think the vaccine approval process was politicized, they’re going to be less likely to participate.”
In the meantime, the state must continue working to ensure hospitals aren’t overwhelmed, Cuomo said. He laid out several steps to address that challenge earlier in the week.
Hospitals must start planning now to bring in extra staff and establish emergency facilities. They must prepare to boost their bed counts.
The state is also developing new metrics it plans to use to monitor hospitalizations in the months ahead.
“That is a serious, serious concern,” Cuomo said of the possibility of overwhelming hospitals. “It is up to us. It is a pure function of what New Yorkers do.”
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