A top Trump administration health official predicted that a Covid-19 vaccine may not be available to the general public until next summer as the daily number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. climbed to roughly 40,000.
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Redfield, said he believes a vaccine will be available to the general public in the late second quarter or third quarter of 2021. At a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Dr. Redfield said the vaccine would be in “very limited supply” at the end of the year and would be prioritized to individuals at the greatest risk and first responders.
“If you’re asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public, so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we’re probably looking at third, late second quarter, third quarter, 2021,” Dr. Redfield said.
Meanwhile, wildfires in some Western states and a hurricane that made landfall in the Southeast opened potential pathways for the virus to spread further.
The wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington state have killed at least 34 people and are part of a series of blazes that has scorched more than 4.7 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Health experts say the wildfires make it harder for people to keep their distance and slow the spread of the virus if they are forced to leave their homes and seek shelter.