The head of Operation Warp Speed has said he would begin sending out vaccinations within 24 hours of approval. Meanwhile, another protest against protective measures has taken place in Berlin. Follow DW for the latest.
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, head of the Operation Warp Speed coronavirus vaccine program in the United States, said Sunday he plans to ship vaccines across the country within 24 hours of approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with vaccinations beginning on December 12.
The FDA, which oversees vaccine production in the US, is scheduled to meet on December 10 to discuss Pfizer's request for emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. The American company and German partner BioNTech announced earlier this month that the vaccine appeared to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19.
The Group of Twenty, or G20 nations, has emphasized the need for global access to coronavirus vaccines during the group‘s virtual summit hosted by Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
"Although we are optimistic about the progress made in developing vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics tools for COVID-19, we must work to create the conditions for affordable and equitable access to these tools for all people," said Saudi King Salman, the host of the summit.
Leaders from across the world, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, outgoing US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others, participated remotely in the two-day gathering that saw them pop up in windows on a large screen.
According to the organizers, there is still a $4.5 billion (€3.8 billion) funding shortfall for COVID-19 vaccines. G20 nations have, so far, contributed over $21 billion to combat the coronavirus. The group has also injected $11 trillion to "safeguard" the world economy, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic.