(CNN)The Covid-19 vaccines are getting closer and closer to the American public as the virus continues to infect people and send them to the hospital.
Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said Tuesday that states have not been given a date to expect shipments of coronavirus vaccines, but they're preparing to receive them as early as December 11.
"The CDC is telling us, 'You need to be ready,'" Hannan said.
To prepare, states are testing their vaccine data systems -- submitting files that are then received by a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clearinghouse.
"All the states are going through testing," said Hannan, whose association is helping states with their immunization plans. "Everybody's got to pass that test to make sure that they can transmit data, that their providers are enrolled successfully, that they can transmit orders and receive communication in the data system."
As Americans wait for the vaccine, Covid-19 has been spreading quickly. The month of November set records 20 times for the number of coronavirus hospitalizations, the most recent Monday with 96,039, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Johns Hopkins University data reports the United States has reached more than 13.6 million total cases and 269,667 deaths. And the impacts of Thanksgiving get-togethers still won't be felt for weeks, health experts say.
Upcoming holiday gatherings around Christmas and Hanukkah could further spread infections to loved ones.
As officials concern themselves with rising case numbers, they are preparing for the first wave of vaccine distributions.
Vaccine candidates from Pfizer and Moderna are awaiting emergency use authorizations (EUA). States have until Friday to request the number of doses for Pfizer's vaccine, Claire Hannan, the executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, told CNN on Monday.
The number of coronavirus infections in the United States is still soaring and has not been controlled at all, so vaccination is a top priority, and we hope to alleviate this situation.

It is worrying that the United States will not take the epidemic seriously if it is too early