Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, a vaccine has been on everyone’s minds in hopes that it can bring us back to “normal.” Researchers around the world have been working around the clock to find a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every day we hear more and more about how close we are to seeing a vaccine. Six candidate vaccines backed by US Taxpayers were developed quickly this spring, with the two front runner candidates being Pfizer Inc. and Moderna. In an open letter from Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla, he states that the earliest the company could apply for authorization for it’s Covid-19 vaccine is the third week of November. Similarly, the CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, said that it would not have enough safety data to apply for Food and Drug Administration authorization of it’s vaccine until November 25 th . In early November, Pfizer Inc. and Biontech announced that their vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in those persons without evidence of prior infection. Moderna also recently announced that their vaccine against Covid 19 is strongly effective, reducing the risk of infection by 94.5%.

While this is good news, we still have a long way to go. Once a vaccine is approved and deemed safe, the plan needs to be laid out for who it gets distributed to first. Arizona has recently submitted its coronavirus vaccination plan draft, and it outlines the prioritization of who will get the vaccine once one is available. Under the Arizona plan, health care personnel will be the first in line, followed by other workers deemed essential such as food industry workers, teachers, and childcare workers. Next would be people at an increased risk of acquiring or transmitting the virus, including people 65 years of age and older. Several specialized groups would be in the next prioritization group, followed by the general public.

Until a vaccine is available, we must continue to take precautions such as wearing a mask and social distancing. MD Senior Living’s staff continues to stay current on all COVID-19 precautions recommended by the CDC and the Arizona State Department of Health Services. Our number one priority is the safety of our residents and staff while continuing MD Senior Living’s commitment to quality service and care.

Sources: Yahoo.com, AZCentral.com, MDVIP.com, Pfizer.com, USAToday.com, Statnews.com