--- title: "The US Has Already Given a Half Million COVID Shots" description: "According to CDC data, US health workers have already administered more than half a million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first week." date: "2020-12-21" modified: "2020-12-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/us-half-million-covid-shots" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "vaccine" - "virus" --- # The US Has Already Given a Half Million COVID Shots ![According to CDC data, US health workers have already administered more than half a million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first week.]() *\Image: PXhere\* According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, [*Bloomberg* reports](), US health workers have already administered more than half a million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the first week of the largest inoculation campaign in history. The doses were mostly distributed to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. In total, 556,208 doses have already been administered and 2.84 million doses have already been distributed, [according to the CDC](). The news comes after vaccine manufacturer Pfizer revealed late last week that it had "millions" of unclaimed doses, as [*The Washington Post* reported](), despite state officials claiming that Pfizer wasn't able to deliver enough. "We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses," Pfizer's [statement]() read. Despite the rapid rollout, even once all 2.84 million doses are administered, it won't be enough for all healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents at the front lines, [*The New York Times* reports](). Luckily, a second vaccine by US-based pharmaceutical giant Moderna, which also proved to be highly effective, was [approved on Friday]() by federal regulators for emergency use. Moderna's vaccine will also be easier to distribute as it only needs to be kept at fridge temperatures. Pfizer's vaccine needs to be kept at a challenging -70 degrees Celsius. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()