EXPLAINER: What to know about COVID-19 vaccination in the US

NEW YORK (AP) — The first shots of COVID-19 vaccine are being delivered, but it will likely be months before doses are widely available for everyone at U.S. drugstores and doctor's office.

Details are still being worked out, but officials expect widespread availability by the middle of next year. A second coronavirus vaccine is being reviewed this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and others are in development.

Even with vaccination, you'll still need to take precautions, like wearing a mask and social distancing, health officials say. That’s because there’s still some unknowns, including how much it reduces spread or how long protection lasts.

WHO'S GETTING THE SHOTS FIRST?

The limited doses of Pfizer's vaccine are going to the most vulnerable first — health care workers and nursing home residents. That means the shipments are going to sites selected in advance by state officials. Hospitals are doling out the shots to their employees. For nursing homes, the government is partnering with CVS and Walgreens, which will be giving the shots in the homes.

Some top U.S. government officials will also be vaccinated in the first wave, according to the National Security Council.

WHO'S NEXT?

Health officials are still working through that question. Possibilities include anyone 65 and older, teachers, police and workers in other essential fields, such as food production, and those with health conditions that make them more susceptible to complications.

An expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines will meet this month and make its recommendations. As with the first wave of shipments, it will ultimately be up to state officials to ultimately decide who's next and work out the specifics. For example, Arkansas has...