HHS says vaccine likely by January as it supports speedier development and distribution
June 16, 2020 / Jeff Lagasse, Associate Editor
One of the top concerns around the COVID-19 coronavirus is knowing when a safe and effective vaccine will be developed and distributed, and on Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services said that January 2021 is a likely timeframe for when that might happen.
The projection is based on the current efforts of HHS’ Operation Warp Speed, an initiative that aims to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by the peak of the next flu season. It’s part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacture and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics – collectively referred to by HHS as “countermeasures.”
OWS intends to achieve this goal by investing in and coordinating countermeasure development, in part by partnering with components of HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and also the Department of Defense.
