USA
16.2 million cases, 299,191 deaths
Florida
1.13 million cases, 58,127 total hospitalizations, 19,866 deaths
Broward
118,914 cases, 7,046 total hospitalizations, 1,741 deaths
The US is experiencing a rapid surge in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19
disease.
We are averaging 210,000 new cases daily, and 2,400 deaths daily.
The Vaccine Update
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 disease, in individuals 16 years of age and older. The EUA allows the vaccine to be distributed in the US.
The CDC has recommended that healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities be designated high priority individuals for receipt of the vaccine.
Hospitals and designated academic centers will receive the first shipments of vaccines this week. The vaccine will then be distributed and made available to high priority individuals.
Individuals outside of the priority groups will have access to vaccines at a later period in 2021.
Other pharmaceutical companies will soon be applying for emergency use authorization for their vaccine candidates. This will increase the number of vaccines available to Americans and will increase the possibility of wide-spread access to vaccines for all Americans by the summer of 2021.
The vaccines are arriving and will help to diminish the menace of COVID-19. However, vaccines alone will not banish this pandemic. Mitigation remains crucial. Maintain social distance, wear a mask when out in public, and practice good hand hygiene. Most importantly, avoid crowded indoor locations, wherever possible.
For more information on coronavirus (COVID-19) prevention, visit www.FloridaHealth.org;
