While there has an influx of coronavirus all across the nation, the U.S. is getting closer to providing a vaccine.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine was confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration for its safety and efficacy. It also reported that a 90-year-old in Great Britain is the first Western citizen to receive the vaccine.
As for when it will become available in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control is saying by the end of the year with healthcare workers expected to be the first to receive it, followed by long-term healthcare residents.
The Mississippi Department of Health on its website said there was a draft plan of how the vaccine will be distributed but it was unavailable as of press-time on Tuesday. Once the vaccine does become available it has to be taken in two parts, three weeks apart.
On Tuesday the health department said there were a total of 1,732 new cases and that the seven-day average of cases is currently 1,846.3. It also said there was a total of 56 deaths, but 42 of the deaths were from between Nov. 24 and Dec. 7, while 14 deaths were from Nov. 8 and Dec. 2. The grand total of cases in Mississippi since the first case in March is 167,926 with 4,017 deaths.
In Marion County there have been a total of 1,319 cases with 50 deaths since March.
For the week of Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, the Marion County Schools reported:
- East Marion Elementary had one to five students test positive and another six quarantined due to exposure from the virus.
- East Marion High reported one to five staff/teachers tested positive, and three students were quarantined due to exposure.
- West Marion Primary had two teachers and four students quarantined for exposure.
- West Marion Elementary had one to five students test positive for the virus.
- West Marion High reported three students quarantined for exposure.
The health department had no information from the Columbia School District for the week.
