[Genuine Realist]

"Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer apparently will be available in mid-to late November - pretty exciting."

According to the NYTimes Vaccine Tracker, the US has indeed contracted both Moderna and Pfizer for 100 million shots (which will provide only 50 million people each if 2 shots are required). Pfizer is slated to make the first doses available "by December" and no date is listed for the Moderna vaccine, but my guess is late 2020 to early 2021. Novavax, which is in earlier  Phase III, is also set to produce 100 million doses, but be early 2021. But you cannot go from this to "vaccines... will be available mid-to-late November."

1) This is only if the vaccines are "safe and effective." The US government also had contracts with, for example, the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine. And to my understanding, 3 of the earliest vaccine trials to reach Phase 3 have been paused (Oxford/Astra-Zeneca, Johnson & Innovio). So sure, hopefully, both Moderna and Pfizer will both prove safe and effective. But each has said they won't seek EUA until late November. Pfizer initially said they'd release preliminary data in late October, but after complaints that they were acting irresponsibly, it is unclear when they will now.

For context, Pfizer's plan is to report results after 32(?) people are positive for Covid out of their Phase 3 trial, and then they planned to look up who those people who (vaccinated vs. placebo) and announce preliminary results. 32 people! Are you ready to get injected with that much data?

I wouldn't recommend anyone -- not even my elderly parents -- accept a vaccine with so little safety data.

Your statement assumes both Pfizer and Moderna will prove safe and effective. That'd be great if that turns out to be the case, but we don't know yet.

The issues of safety is dealt with by Newsom elsewhere in the plan, which I linked. It's different than the distribution method. 

Which is incredibly short sighted

[Genuine Realist]

"Vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer apparently will be available in mid-to late November - pretty exciting."

According to the NYTimes Vaccine Tracker, the US has indeed contracted both Moderna and Pfizer for 100 million shots (which will provide only 50 million people each if 2 shots are required). Pfizer is slated to make the first doses available "by December" and no date is listed for the Moderna vaccine, but my guess is late 2020 to early 2021. Novavax, which is in earlier  Phase III, is also set to produce 100 million doses, but be early 2021. But you cannot go from this to "vaccines... will be available mid-to-late November."

1) This is only if the vaccines are "safe and effective." The US government also had contracts with, for example, the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine. And to my understanding, 3 of the earliest vaccine trials to reach Phase 3 have been paused (Oxford/Astra-Zeneca, Johnson & Innovio). So sure, hopefully, both Moderna and Pfizer will both prove safe and effective. But each has said they won't seek EUA until late November. Pfizer initially said they'd release preliminary data in late October, but after complaints that they were acting irresponsibly, it is unclear when they will now.

For context, Pfizer's plan is to report results after 32(?) people are positive for Covid out of their Phase 3 trial, and then they planned to look up who those people who (vaccinated vs. placebo) and announce preliminary results. 32 people! Are you ready to get injected with that much data?

I wouldn't recommend anyone -- not even my elderly parents -- accept a vaccine with so little safety data.

Your statement assumes both Pfizer and Moderna will prove safe and effective. That'd be great if that turns out to be the case, but we don't know yet.

The issues of safety is dealt with by Newsom elsewhere in the plan, which I linked. It's different than the distribution method. 

Which is incredibly short sighted