We're reading and hearing about promising vaccines ready for distribution before the end of 2020. In the world of science, the speed that has brought these vaccines to the point of distribution is truly remarkable—and a clear sign of how technology, combined with our growing understanding of human immunology, speeds up discovery.

So, what does this news mean for all of us? 

First, although promising and exciting, vaccines will be available only in very limited quantities through the end of the year. I’m aware of one health system with more than 40,000 employees who will be receiving only 2,000 doses before January.

By January, production will increase and there will be decisions to be made about how those doses will be targeted. Again, we don't anticipate seeing large-scale vaccination sites along the lines of our statewide testing sites until late spring or early summer.

For now, based on the surges we're seeing and our hospital capacity concerns, basic public health measures remain most important. That means wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and staying separated from friends and family until we can be together again comfortably outdoors.

—Timothy Schacker, MD

You can find the slides of Dr. Schacker’s UMRA A.M. presentation on “The quest for a vaccine” and a link to the video recording of the Zoom webinar on umra.umn.edu.