NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gov. Bill Lee attended a COVID-19 vaccine summit at the White House, where President Donald Trump signed an executive order to make sure Americans get first access to a vaccine.
According to White House officials, the goal of the roundtable was to educate the public about the vaccine development process and the distribution plan.
Last month, Tennessee was chosen by Pfizer to be a part of a pilot program to help with distribution challenges.
Reports reveal the initial U.S. agreement with Pfizer signed in the summer was to get 100 million doses with the option to purchase more. The 100 million doses would be enough to vaccinate 50 million people, because it's a two-dose vaccine.
CNN reports that the U.S. has the opportunity to purchase 3 billion doses of vaccine, among all the contracts the federal government currently has with various companies – that would in theory be enough to vaccinate the U.S. population several times over.
Pfizer wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the agreement. The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be endorsed by the FDA this week.
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See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
