SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Dr. Anthony Fauci is now saying it will likely be mid-summer before the majority of Americans will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The infectious disease expert and White House Chief Medical Adviser last week predicted an earlier timeline: April. He originally said in two months it would be “open season, namely virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated.”
Speaking on CNN Tuesday, Fauci now says “that timeline will probably be prolonged, maybe into mid-to-late May and early June,” the network’s chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, tweeted.
“It may take until June, July and August, to finally get everyone vaccinated,” Fauci continued.
Recently, San Francisco and Los Angeles had to temporarily close mass vaccination sites because of low supply of doses.
Even so, new sites are popping up everywhere, including a new mass vaccination site in Oakland — opening in partnership between the state of California and FEMA.
California’s largest mass vaccination site opened last week in Santa Clara County, although none of these sites are vaccinating at their full capacity yet, officials say.
At this time, California is allowing vaccinations for all healthcare workers and long-term care residents, and vaccinating the following groups “as supplies allow”:
- Individuals 65 and older
- Sector populations:
- Agriculture and food
- Education and childcare
- Emergency services
The state is expected to open up eligibility for people as young as 16 years old who have underlying health conditions by March 15.
On Feb. 11, President Joe Biden said they signed the final contracts for 100 million more Moderna and 100 million more Pfizer vaccines, expecting enough vaccines for 300 million Americans by the end of July.