U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday called the chances that a COVID-19 vaccine is ready early "possible, but not probable."
"We want to make sure states are available to distribute it," Adams said during an interview with ABC News, in response to a question regarding the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for states to be ready to distribute a potential coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 1.
The CDC guidance to health departments to be ready to distribute a vaccine in November is a "just in case" scenario, Adams said.
On the off chance that a vaccine is ready by early November, having systems in place to distribute it would ensure that the vaccine gets to people who need it most, he added.
"It's not contradictory information," Adams said. "We've always said that we're hopeful for a vaccine by the end of this year or the beginning of next year."
