US CDC officials ask states to prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in late October

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked the state public health officials, to prepare and distribute a potential coronavirus vaccine to high-risk groups as soon as October, documents published by the agency showed.  Previously, American health officials had asserted that a vaccine for coronavirus might be approved without even completing full trials leaving the WHO concerned.

Read: Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine: 13,194 People Enroll For Phase 3 Trials

Read: White House Denounces WHO's Concern About COVID-19 Vaccine Release

A CDC report published earlier in the New York Times revealed that the agency had contacted officials in all the 50 American states and five large cities with the planning information. As per the report, the CDC was ready to distribute one or two vaccines in limited quantities by late October. Time has become an important factor in vaccine development and distribution, especially during the time when Americans heading towards elections.

Billions of dollars invested 

Currently, Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer are leading in the race to develop a safe and effective vaccine. However, President Trump, who has promised a vaccine before elections had already invested billions of federal funds under Operation Warp speed in various companies like Johnsons and Johnsons. According to reprots, the  $1.6 billion funding grant to Novavax Inc. has emerged as the biggest contribution made to a single company under Operation Warp Speed.

As per Novavax Inc.'s statement, the funds will allow the company to test a viable vaccine candidate by this fall. The firm further added that it has around 30,000 subjects who have agreed to take part in the trials. Earlier in May, Novavax Inc also received $338 million from Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Read: White House Denounces WHO's Concern About COVID-19 Vaccine Release

Meanwhile, WHO officials said moving too quickly to make a vaccine widely available could pose risks. "If you move too quickly to vaccinate ... millions of people, you may miss certain adverse effects," said Mike Ryan, the head of WHO's emergencies program. Another WHO expert, Soumya Swaminathan, meanwhile said that the FDA's approach was "not something that you do very lightly."  Though the global health agency has touted an early release of vaccine, it has also stated that great care must be taken and untested drugs and vaccines should not be approved lightly.

Read: US Grants $1.6 Billion To Novavax For COVID-19 Vaccine Project Under Operation Warp Speed

 Image credits:AP