New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Wednesday that the Empire State will receive enough doses of a coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer for 170,000 people by the middle of next month.
“New York’s first delivery of the Pfizer vaccine will be enough for 170,000 New Yorkers,” Cuomo tweeted. “We expect, if all safety & efficacy approvals are granted, to receive these doses on December 15.”
The news comes as Pfizer seeks emergency authorization for its vaccine to be distributed after data showed it to be 95 percent effective.
New York was one of the earliest hot spots of the pandemic in the U.S. in March and April but worked to flatten its curve over the summer. It is currently in the midst of a new rise in cases, with nearly 9,000 new infections and 69 fatalities reported Tuesday, according to Cuomo.
Cuomo and President Trump have feuded over the distribution of a vaccine in New York after the governor criticized the White House and accused it of rushing a vaccine to score a key victory before the November elections.
Cuomo said he was “not that confident” in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval process and that the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “don’t have any credibility” under the Trump administration.
California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and New York have all established an independent panel of experts to review the safety and effectiveness of any coronavirus vaccine that receives federal approval.
Cuomo “will have to let us know when he’s ready for it because otherwise, we can’t be delivering it to a state that won’t be giving it to its people immediately,” Trump said last month.
Pfizer first requested an emergency use authorization in the U.S. last month, and health officials have said the first vaccines could be administered by the end of the year.
A CDC panel said Tuesday that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities should be the first in the U.S. to get the vaccine. A second phase of vaccinations will include people older than 65, essential workers and those with underlying medical conditions.