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Added on the 03/05/2021 17:32:24 - Copyright : Euronews EN
Across the country, some non-healthcare workers are getting their COVID-19 vaccines earlier than expected. In a scattershot practice, non-priority people are getting vaccinated ahead of schedule when pharmacies have extra doses thawed that must be used. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines need to be stored at cold temperatures and used within hours of thawing. Business Insider reports the phenomenon occurs when vaccine providers must either throw out extra doses when they expire or give them to random people. In other instances, confusion about the amount of doses per vial and rumors of excess supply have led to mishaps in vaccine allocation. The US federal government hasn't specified what should be done when there are more thawed doses than eligible recipients.
Three coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca have shown to be effective in late-stage trials. According to Business Insider, the federal government will be allocating the number of vaccine doses to states by population. This is the largest vaccination effort ever attempted in the U.S., with hundreds of millions of doses being prepared. Most states have announced the number of doses they expect to receive in the first round of distribution. With initial doses limited and lacking strong federal guidance, it's up to U.S. states to determine who will get the first vaccines.
A relative handful of Americans have received the vaccine to protect against the novel coronavirus. But according to HuffPost, it's unclear if those lucky few can still pass along the virus to others, even if they themselves aren't infected. Likewise, it's important to remember that even after getting the jab, it takes the body at least a month to build up its immunity to COVID-19. Therefore, it's essential to continue following proven public health measures, like universal masking, handwashing, and physical distancing. Experts say Americans shouldn't start to relax on observing these measures until roughly 70% of the population has been vaccinated.