Pfizer: Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by this fall for emergency use

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To combat the coronavirus pandemic, Pfizer Inc. said it could have a vaccine ready for emergency use by the fall, according to a report.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday that the company could further be ready for a broader rollout by the end of the year.

“This is a crisis right now, and a solution is desperately needed by all,” Bourla told the publication.

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The company is continuing to do more testing to ensure the vaccine is safe, according to The Journal.

The next results are expected as early as next month.

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While many point to a vaccine as the surest path back to normal, public health experts see another way that’s no less daunting: millions more tests; 100,000 or more health workers to track and isolate those exposed to COVID-19, and a seamless data network to coordinate the effort.

Some U.S. states are beginning the process of easing restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the various plans show that “normal” is a long way off. Among the states with aggressive plans to reopen businesses is Georgia, where officials on Tuesday reported the death toll had topped 1,000 people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled draft guidelines to help businesses and organizations reopen, and they include businesses closing break rooms, restaurants having disposable menus and plates, and schoolchildren eating lunch in the classrooms.