(Photo : Micahel A. McCoy - Pool/Getty Images)
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis in the Rayburn Building on October 2, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Most vulnerable Americans can be given a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar Wednesday.

Azar said one COVID-19 vaccine, or maybe two, will likely be available for distribution to vulnerable Americans.

After the vulnerable Americans, it's likely that the general public can be inoculated by a COVID-19 vaccine by early spring, said a USA Today report.

"There is hope on the way in the form of safe and effective vaccines in a matter of weeks or months," Azar said.

For now, the U.S. government is looking at vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. as the earliest candidates, reported Reuters.

Azar Outlines Timeline for COVID-19 Vaccine

Speaking at a public briefing, Azar outlined a timetable for the vaccine. He expects all seniors, healthcare workers, and first responders to receive a vaccine as soon as January. Then, the general public can follow by March and April.

The timetable didn't exactly match the recommendations earlier this month by a federal advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health.

The CDC timetable recommends health care workers should go first, followed by vulnerable Americans.

Despite the laid out timeline, Azar said these dates may still change over time. He said the availability of vaccines might depend on how quickly they can be produced, and that process has just begun.

"I wish I could say everything is going to go 100% according to plan, but we also have to be ready in case it doesn't," he said.

CDC deputy director Dr. Jay Butler also reiterated Azar's point, reported Yahoo News. He said he was being "cautiously optimistic" about a vaccine being ready before the end of 2020.

The government started an initiative called Operation Warp Speed, which is focused on delivering vaccines by January 2021. There are six companies taking part in the project.

Health Officials Urge Caution

Other than Butler, Azar also appeared in the briefing with CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield.

All three health officials wore masks for the entire time they were in the event. It has been a practice for other news briefings during the pandemic as well. 

The Wednesday briefing was the first time the CDC held a media briefing on COVID-19 since late August. 

Azar and the other officials reminded people about the basic public health measures in the absence of a vaccine. They also commented on the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

As more and more Americans get pushed indoors in recent weeks due to cold weather, the outbreak worsened. Thirty-eight states reported a rise in case counts. The virus infected more than eight million Americans, and more than 200,000 people have died.

Butler said the trend in the U.S. was "distressing." He understands that people are growing tired of the reminders to wear masks and other protective measures. But he added that it is "as important as it's ever been."

The health official said the public has to be more cautious, especially with the coming fall season. 

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