The announcement of two highly effective vaccines in the space of a couple of weeks at the end of 2020 was the news everyone had been waiting for. So much so, it was enough to send markets soaring around the globe. 

However, despite the excitement over the announced COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna and what it means in our efforts to overcome the global Coronavirus pandemic, expectations have been kept in check due to the mammoth task of rolling out the vaccines. 

As you can imagine, demand is incredibly high for the vaccines the world over and supply is struggling to keep up. Layering in the fact that the mRNA vaccines need to be kept at super low temperatures only adds to the complex nature of rolling out the largest vaccination program the world has ever seen. 

Here we look at who is eligible and when you can expect it to be your turn.

COVID-19 vaccine: who can get it?

New federal guidelines announced this past week have opened up the vaccine to anyone over the age of 65. However, it’s worth noting that states make the final call on who they vaccinate first so it’s worth checking your state information. Previous information has shown a list similar to this:

• First in the queue are front-line health care workers, nursing home staff and residents.
• Second are essential workers who have contact with the public, such as teachers and grocery store workers.
• Third are people with pre-existing conditions.
• Finally, the rest of the adult population over 16 years old.

To date, 5.5 million US citizens have received a COVID-19 vaccination, according to the CDC. By July this year it is estimated that we will see 200 million Pfzier doses and possibly 200 million Moderna doses administered to Americans. Experts believe that most if not all Americans will have been offered the vaccine by the summer.