U.S. could begin COVID-19 vaccine rollout by mid-December, top health official says

The head of the U.S. effort to produce a coronavirus vaccine said the first inoculations could happen as soon as 24 hours after the Food and Drug Administration grants approval, which would kick off the largest inoculation campaign in U.S. history starting in mid-December.

"Within 24 hours from the approval, the vaccine will be moving and located in the areas where each state will have told us where they want the vaccine doses," Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser for the government's "Operation Warp Speed" vaccine program, told NBC's Meet the Press.

The FDA's outside advisers will meet on Dec. 10 to discuss whether to authorize the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech for emergency use.Slaoui told CNN he expects vaccinations would begin on the second day after approval, Dec. 12.

Moderna Inc is expected to seek approval later in December for its COVID-19 vaccine.

The effort to roll out vaccines across the country of 330 million people comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has blocked the normal transition of government before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20. Slaoui said he hoped for a smooth transition and did not expect the vaccination effort to be derailed.

Vaccines will be distributed based on each state's population, Slaoui said. Each state will decide who gets the vaccine first with the recommendation that priority be given to health care workers, front-line workers and the elderly who face the highest risks of dying from the virus.

About 70 per centof the country's population needs to be immunized to achieve herd immunity, a goal the U.S. could reach by May, Slaoui said.

Millions ignoring Thanksgiving warnings

As new COVID-19 cases continue to surge, millions of Americans are ignoring federal and state warnings to stay home for Thanksgiving to prevent overwhelming already strained hospitals. Many people are trying to get tested before the holiday on Thursday, leading to long lines in New York City and elsewhere.

Testing shortages still plague many parts of the country with most pharmacies offering COVID-19 tests in suburban Chicago were fully booked ahead of Thanksgiving and long lines at state drive-through testing facilities.

"We're clearly involved now in a very, very difficult surge here throughout the United States and even globally," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, told NBC.

Last week Biden called the vaccination program a "massive undertaking" and "one of the greatest challenges we will face as a nation."

The U.S. must distribute tens of millions of vaccines while also combating misinformation about vaccines spread on social media. A recent Gallup poll showed only 58 per centof Americans would get the vaccine, up from 50 per centin September.

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said it was crucial to have a seamless flow of information between Trump's coronavirus experts and Biden's transition team to avoid delays in distribution after Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

WATCH |Who would get a COVID-19 vaccine first and when?

Who would get a COVID-19 vaccine first and when?

4 years ago

Duration 9:01

Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, discusses how vulnerable populations will be prioritized when a COVID-19 vaccine rolls out.

Biden warned last week that "more people will die if we don't coordinate."

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases has surpassed 12 million and rose by more than onemillion cases in less than a week for the first time.

Deaths have topped 256,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University,with many health experts warning deaths will rise to over 2,000 a day in the coming weeks.