Unlike Many Other Countries, The US Prioritizes Seniors To Receive COVID-19 Vaccines

Trump and Pence, two US presidential candidates entering old age (Source: Fox Video)

JAKARTA - The United States will prioritize the elderly as vaccine recipients. This is in contrast to many countries that place seniors behind. Apart from the elderly, another US priority is medical personnel.

The US is currently in an optimistic phase about providing vaccines for its citizens. Launching CNA, Thursday, October 22, Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States (US) Alex Azar said vaccines for the two groups will be available at least by the end of the year. The US government has asked Pfizer and Moderna to immediately develop manufacturing capabilities, even before vaccines are allowed by regulators.

All of this was done so that the US could optimally fight COVID-19 and get back to moving the wheels of the economy. Even so, Pfizer in its open letter did not agree with the wishes of the US government.

Pfizer says it is unlikely to have enough vaccine data to submit to US authorities by the end of November, meaning after the US presidential election. However, Pfizer said it would keep trying.

If a vaccine becomes available at the end of the year, US authorities will begin the vaccination process in January. Meanwhile, vaccinations for all US citizens - excluding seniors and medical personnel - will be carried out in April 2021.

So far the US has confirmed 8,378,569 cases of COVID-19 transmission. Among them, there were 222,157 cases died.