Operation Warp Speed predicts 100M Americans immune to COVID-19 by end of February

December 2, 2020 KayKay US 0

This picture taken on May 23, 2020 shows a laboratory technician holding a dose of a COVID-19 novel coronavirus vaccine candidate. (Photo by MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:30 PM PT – Wednesday, December 2, 2020

The Trump administration touted the continued success of ‘Operation Warp Speed’ in its latest update in the fight toward developing the COVID-19 vaccine.

During a press briefing Wednesday, Operation Chief Advisor Moncef Slaoui predicted at least 100 million Americans will be immune to the virus by the end of February.

This came as about 20 million people are expected to be vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines during the month of December alone.

Slaoui added 30 million people will be vaccinated by January and 50 million by February.

White House Press Secretary @KayleighMcEnany says 40 million coronavirus vaccine doses will be available by the end of the year pic.twitter.com/iqgeAVKy0S

— Team Trump (@TeamTrump) December 2, 2020

Vaccine front-runners ‘Pfizer’ and ‘Moderna’ have both sent their vaccines to the FDA for Emergency Use Approval. Each of the two has proven its high effectiveness at about 95 percent.

Once approved, the Warp Speed team can begin shipping doses within two days of authorization. Chief Operations Officer Gen. Gus Perna said they will release doses as they become available.

“We are not waiting for a cluster of vaccines to be available and then push,” Perna stated. “We want a rhythmic, cadenced delivery of vaccine so the states can best manage it to the priorities as they developed it.”

State officials will determine who should receive the vaccine first. Advocacy groups have called for health care workers and the elderly to be considered.

Furthermore, it’s unclear if ‘Pfizer’ and ‘Moderna’ vaccines will be available after February. However, officials said other companies like ‘Johnson and Johnson’ and ‘AstraZeneca’ are also in the running to produce coronavirus vaccines. They could get approval at the beginning of next year.