The stock market opened Monday with solid gains as the first approved coronavirus vaccinations were administered in the U.S.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened with a gain of more than 200 points, rising roughly 0.8 percent. The S&P 500 index rose 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.1 percent.
Monday’s solid open came shortly after the first Americans received coronavirus vaccinations outside of clinical trials. The rapid development of a highly effective vaccine for COVID-19 is expected to curb the length of the pandemic and allow for quicker economic recovery from its onset.
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U.S. officials say that roughly 20 million people could be vaccinated in December, with health care workers and people in nursing homes as the top priorities.
Even so, the U.S. is facing several more months of staggering coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations until enough of the general public is vaccinated, which will likely take until spring.
Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: US begins COVID-19 vaccinations in moment of hope | US surpasses 300,000 COVID-19 deaths | Pfizer negotiating with Trump administration for additional 100M COVID-19 vaccine doses next year Build trust in vaccines by investing in community workers US begins COVID-19 vaccinations in moment of hope MORE, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, said Monday that the U.S. will still not be able safely gather in large crowds and tight spaces until the second half of next year, if not longer.
“A vaccine, right now, is not a substitute for the normal standard public health measures of wearing a mask, keeping your distance, avoiding congregate crowded sections,” Fauci said during an interview with MSNBC.
Until enough Americans are vaccinated to suppress COVID-19 to a low enough level, experts warn that the economy is unlikely to reach its pre-pandemic pace.
“From our standpoint, it’s just too soon to assess with any confidence the implications of the news for the path of the economy, especially in the near term,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in November after Pfizer announced its successful vaccine trial.