The coronavirus surging in the U.S.

The country, which recently surpassed 11 million cases of the deadly virus, is grappling to take hold of the deadly virus, which has claimed some 247,220 American lives to date. Texas and California lead the nation with the most cases, with the latter state imposing new restrictions in an effort to curb virus spread. 

The hopes of putting a stop to the coronavirus pandemic lay with two promising coronavirus vaccine candidates, developed by Moderna and Pfizer, respectively. Both have proven highly efficacious in late-stage clinical trials, with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, calling the results “truly striking.”

Amid concerns over its ultra-cold storage requirements, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer this week announced it has launched a pilot delivery program for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in four U.S. states in an effort to address distribution challenges. 

“We are hopeful that results from this vaccine delivery pilot will serve as the model for other U.S. states and international governments, as they prepare to implement effective COVID-19 vaccine programs,” Pfizer said in a statement on Monday.