With vaccine approvals on the horizon, what happens next?

BOSTON — As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations climb and health officials warn of a long, hard winter ahead and hopes are riding on a vaccine being approved and effective. Pfizer’s vaccine is expected to be approved first, while Moderna’s is expected to be close behind.

Moderna has some promising news when it comes to how long the vaccine will work and keep you protected against COVID-19. Moderna says participants in its trials retained high levels of neutralizing antibodies for three months following their first vaccination and two months following their second vaccination. The Cambridge-based company also said its study found the antibodies were found in all age groups—including elderly adults. The company plans to have 20 million doses of the vaccine available in the US by the end of the year and up to 125 million doses available worldwide in the first quarter of next year.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker says he’s expecting somewhere around 300,000 doses by the end of the year. Earlier this week, the Trump Administration told governors that the first shipments of Pfizer’s vaccine would start arriving by mid-December, and doses of Moderna’s vaccine would be shortly after that. Governors must file a state distribution plan with the federal government by Dec. 4.

Pfizer’s vaccine will be the first to be distributed once approved on Dec. 10, but already there’s word of supply issues. Initially, Pfizer said it would make 100 million doses before the end of the year, but it has since cut those projections in half.

There were a couple of things that caused the numbers to shrink. The Wall Street Journal reports Pfizer was slow to scale up production of raw materials while it waited for the results of one of its trials. And Pfizer’s vaccine requires special shipping, requiring it to be kept at extremely cold temperatures. Pfizer maintains it will make up this year’s shortfall by producing 1.3 billion doses with BioNtech by the end of 2021.

Once the vaccine is available to the general public, a lot of people are likely going to be making appointments to try and get one. Both Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines come in two doses. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said just like people came out to vote, he wants to see the same for getting vaccinated. Galvin is recommending a national vaccination day where everyone gets a first dose of the new vaccine once they become available to the general public. Right now health care workers and those who are at highest risk will be among the first to receive the vaccine when it first comes out.

The Department of Defense just released images of a COVID-19 vaccination card that you soon might be carrying in your wallet. It is designed to help keep track of when you had your first shot, and when you need to get your second. Vaccination clinics will also report to state immunization registries, so if you misplace your card, it will still be recorded. Many places are also asking for patients’ cell phone numbers so they can send a text message when their next dose is due.

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