COVID vaccine tracker and timeline: Where and when you can get it

Covid vaccine tracker
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A COVID vaccine tracker and timeline is a useful way to sift through all the information out there, as the two vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna roll out across the U.S.

Since COVID-19 began spreading worldwide, scientists at biotech companies raced to develop multiple vaccines, test them for safety and efficacy, then produce them at a mass scale. Government and health officials have been developing guidelines on the best way to distribute the vaccine — who should get it first and how to deliver it.

In the U.S., the FDA has granted Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna emergency approval. Several others vaccines are still in various phases of trials. 

Already, numerous health care workers have been injected with the first of two doses. But most healthy American adults will likely not get the COVID vaccine until April, at the earliest. Health officials are encouraging everyone to continue wearing masks and social distancing.

Stay up-to-date with our COVID vaccine tracker and timeline.

Latest COVID vaccine news

  • The government has made a deal with Pfizer to buy an additional 100 million doses of its vaccine (NBC News)
  • Pfizer and Moderna are testing their vaccines against the UK coronavirus variant (CNN)
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci gets the Moderna vaccine on live TV (Vox)

COVID vaccine tracker: Which vaccines are approved?

In the U.S., two vaccines has been approved by the FDA: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

Here's a look at the leading vaccines in development for use in the U.S. (source: The New York Times).

Swipe to scroll horizontally
DeveloperTypeU.S. Status
Pfizer-BioNTechmRNAEmergency use approved
ModernamRNAEmergency use approved
Johnson & Johnson AdenovirusPhase 3 trial
Oxford-AstraZenecaAdenovirusPhase 3 trial
NovavaxProteinPhase 3 trial

COVID vaccine timeline: When can I get the shot?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted guidelines for distributing the vaccine, but each state has the final word.

Their recommendations prioritize health care workers and the staff and residents at long-term care facilities. They are followed by: critical and essential workers, people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions and people 65 years and older. The last group is the general adult population.

Right now, the vaccines are not approved for children. Pfizer is testing their vaccine on kids 12 and older, while Moderna is still recruiting for its trial.

Here's an estimated timeline of COVID vaccine distribution. 

Current
COVID vaccinations are already taking place across the country, using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. States are starting with the nation's 21 million healthcare workers and 3 million residents of long-term care facilities.

Moncef Slaoui, chief advisor to the federal government's Operation Warp Speed, has estimated that 20 million Americans could get a COVID-19 shot before the end of 2020.

January/February 2021
The vaccines will continue to roll out to priority groups, including essential workers, immunocompromised people and the elderly. The process could speed up depending on the approval of more vaccines currently in Phase 3 trials, such as Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson.

Spring/early summer 2021
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, has said that average, healthy Americans can expect to get their first doses as early as April and through July.

You can get a sense of where you stand "in line" for your shot with a COVID-19 vaccine calculator.

Where are the COVID vaccine doses going?

All 50 states are receiving shipments of the vaccines, at varying amounts. Here's what each state expects to get by the end of 2020, according to The Washington Post.

Alabama
Pfizer: 41,000 | Moderna: 220,000

Alaska
Pfizer: 6,300 | Moderna: 32,000

Arizona
Pfizer: 58,000 | Moderna: 440,000

Arkansas
Pfizer: 25,000 | Moderna: 130,000

California
Pfizer: 130,000 | Moderna: 1,800,000

Colorado
Pfizer: 47,000 | Moderna: 190,000

Connecticut
Pfizer: 32,000 | Moderna: 170,000

Delaware
Pfizer: 8,800 | Moderna: 26,000

District of Columbia
Pfizer: 6,800 | Moderna: 34,000

Florida
Pfizer: 180,000 | Moderna: 990,000

Georgia
Pfizer: 92,000 | Moderna: 470,000

Hawaii
Pfizer: 13,000 | Moderna: 65,000

Idaho
Pfizer: 14,000 | Moderna: 89,000

Illinois
Pfizer: 110,000 | Moderna: 570,000

Indiana
Pfizer: 55,000 | Moderna: 300,000

Iowa
Pfizer: 26,000 | Moderna: 200,000

Kansas
Pfizer: 24,000 | Moderna: 170,000

Kentucky
Pfizer: 38,000 | Moderna: 150,000

Louisiana
Pfizer: 40,000 | Moderna: 210,000

Maine
Pfizer: 13,000 | Moderna: 58,000

Maryland
Pfizer: 51,000 | Moderna: 210,000

Massachusetts
Pfizer: 60,000 | Moderna: 360,000

Michigan
Pfizer: 84,000 | Moderna: 340,000

Minnesota
Pfizer: 47,000 | Moderna: 230,000

Mississippi
Pfizer: 25,000 | Moderna: 130,000

Missouri
Pfizer: 52,000 | Moderna: 280,000

Montana
Pfizer: 9,800 | Moderna: 49,000

Nebraska
Pfizer: 17,000 | Moderna: 85,000

Nevada
Pfizer: 25,000 | Moderna: 190,000

New Hampshire
Pfizer: 13,000 | Moderna: 50,000

New Jersey
Pfizer: 76,000 | Moderna: 400,000

New Mexico
Pfizer: 18,000 | Moderna: 94,000

New York
Pfizer: 170,000 | Moderna: 900,000

North Carolina
Pfizer: 86,000 | Moderna: 470,000

North Dakota
Pfizer: 6,800 | Moderna: 27,000

Ohio
Pfizer: 100,000 | Moderna: 530,000

Oklahoma
Pfizer: 33,000 | Moderna: 200,000

Oregon
Pfizer: 35,000 | Moderna: 270,000

Pennsylvania
Pfizer: 120,000 | Moderna: 590,000

Rhode Island
Pfizer: 10,000 | Moderna: 39,000

South Carolina
Pfizer: 46,000 | Moderna: 240,000

South Dakota
Pfizer: 7,800 | Moderna: 30,000

Tennessee
Pfizer: 57,000 | Moderna: 310,000

Texas
Pfizer: 220,000 | Moderna: 1,600,000

Utah
Pfizer: 26,000 | Moderna: 180,000

Vermont
Pfizer: 5,900 | Moderna: 30,000

Virginia
Pfizer: 72,000 | Moderna: 550,000

Washington
Pfizer: 62,000 | Moderna: 340,000

West Virginia
Pfizer: 17,000 | Moderna: 110,000

Wisconsin
Pfizer: 50,000 | Moderna: 260,000

Wyoming
Pfizer: 5,000 | Moderna: 26,000

How many COVID vaccine doses are available?

Pfizer-BioNTech made a deal with the U.S. government to provide 100 million doses by the end of 2020. 

The New York Times reported that the government passed up a chance during the summer to order another 100 million doses, but they are now in negotiations for more supply.

The government paid Moderna $1.5 billion for 100 million doses and followed up with an order for the same amount to be delivered in the second quarter of 2021.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses. Thus, 100 million doses can vaccinate 50 million people. The U.S. population is about 330 million people.

Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.