Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be authorized for use within weeks - U.S. official

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar testifies to the House Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2020. J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc could be ready for U.S. authorization and distribution within weeks, setting the stage for inoculation to begin as soon as this year, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday.

States and territories are prepared to begin distributing the vaccines within 24 hours of receiving regulatory authorization, officials said on a call with reporters, adding that complex cold storage requirements will not be an impediment to all Americans being able to access the vaccines.