President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. government had signed contracts to obtain 200 million combined COVID-19 vaccine doses from Moderna and Pfizer, increasing the nation’s 2021 supply by 50%.
Biden said he now believes 300 million people could be fully vaccinated by the end of July.
“Oh, that’s so incredible. We’re in a race,” said Dr. Jill Foster, the division director of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview. “There’s the variants that are coming out, that make it a little easier for people to get COVID. So, the whole goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible so we can get those numbers down.”
Foster said she believes Biden’s July timeline for 300 million two-dose vaccinations is feasible, as long as the supply comes to fruition.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he believes supply will surge by the spring.
“I would imagine by the time we get to April that would be what I would call, for lack of better wording, 'open season,'” Fauci said on Thursday. “Namely, virtually anybody and everybody in any category can start to get vaccinated.”
So far, more than 68 million doses have been delivered nationwide. In Minnesota, around 600,000 people have gotten at least a first dose – including nearly 30% of people 65 and older.
If you’re fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you no longer have to quarantine after a COVID-19 exposure.
"The rules are going to loosen up a little bit, but [we] still need to wear a mask, still need to social distance,” Foster said.
Speaking of masks – the CDC also said this week that doubling up with a cloth and surgical mask can offer better protection.
“The closer you get to a really good seal on your mask,” Foster said, “the better you are.”