simultaneously with manufacturing and distribution planning. As part of these actions, the Federal Government made investments in critical manufacturing capacity, giving pharmaceutical companies confidence that if they invested in developing a vaccine, once the vaccine received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, these companies would be able to immediately begin distributing the vaccine. (22) On July 14, 2020, the United States CDC issued stronger recommendations to wear masks as a strategy for preventing the spread of COVID–19. United States CDC Director Robert Redfield, in a news release from the agency, identified masks as one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus . (23) On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (referred to in this section as EUA ) for a vaccine for the prevention of COVID–19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The EUA allowed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID–19 Vaccine to be distributed in the United States. (24) By June 2022, subsequent modifications to the EUA by the Food and Drug Administration expanded the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID–19 vaccine application to include eligibility for individuals from 6 months of age and older. (25) On December 18, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration issued an EUA for the second vaccine for the prevention of COVID–19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The EUA allowed the Moderna COVID–19 Vaccine to be distributed in the United States for use in individuals 18 years of age and older. (26) By June 2022, subsequent modifications to the EUA by the Food and Drug Administration expanded the Moderna COVID–19 vaccine to include eligibility for individuals from 6 months of age and above. (27) On February 27, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration issued an EUA for the third vaccine for the prevention of COVID–19. The EUA allowed the Janssen COVID–19 vaccine to be distributed in the United States for use in individuals 18 years of age and older.