Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, president Biden’s chief medical adviser to Covid-19, said Thursday that most members of the general public could be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine as early as April.
“With the start of March and April, the number of available doses will allow for a much larger vaccination approach,” he said in an interview with co-host Savannah Guthrie, “Today.”
States have so far prioritized vaccines for the elderly, health care and essential workers, as well as residents of long-term care facilities. Dr. Fauci has said in the past that vaccine availability is likely to increase significantly during the spring.
“I would imagine when we are in April, I would call it, for a better wording ‘open season’,” he said on Thursday. “Virtually anyone and everyone in any category can start vaccinating.”
It will take a few more months to get the vaccines into the arms of most people, he said, adding that he hopes the vast majority of people in the United States can be vaccinated by mid to late summer.
Although the distribution of vaccines in the United States has so far been plagued by confusion, problems, and delays, the average number of shots has been increasing daily since the end of December. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reported that 1.56 million doses were given on Wednesday, bringing the latest seven-day average to more than 1.5 million a day.
The supply of vaccines is also increasing, although it is still far below demand. Moderna and Pfizer, whose vaccines have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have gradually increased production. The FDA may approve a single-dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson later this month, and other Novavax and AstraZeneca vaccines may also be approved for US use in the spring.