Sen. John Barrasso on Tuesday said the first delivery of a new vaccine for Covid-19 will occur by Dec. 11 and 20 million U.S. citizens will be vaccinated by the end of the year.
Appearing on FOX News with Stuart Varney, Barrasso said that beginning in January, 25 million people a month — every month — will have access to the vaccine.
He called the development and forthcoming distribution of the vaccine is an “amazing Christmas gift” and encouraged all people to get the vaccine.
“This is really a good news story,” Barrasso said. “President Trump deserves incredible credit for this. President Trump has led the way.”
Barrasso, a physician by trade, said he will take the vaccine when it becomes available to him and said he hoped everyone would do the same.
“I would encourage all people — if you can get the vaccine — to get it,” he said. “This [vaccine] is going to be the thing that writes the final chapter against the coronavirus.”
Despite Barrasso’s enthusiasm for the vaccine, only 59% of Americans, in a recent Gallup poll, said they would receive it when it becomes available.
Twenty-six percent say they want to wait to confirm the vaccine is safe while only 12% say they don’t trust vaccines in general.
As for the distribution of the vaccine, Barrasso said he agreed with the Centers for Disease Control in that the frontline workers should receive it first.
“We need to get it to the doctors, nurses, those who are taking care of patients and also the essential workers, those who are the most vulnerable an, and the elderly people who have medical conditions.”
