The snippet retweeted by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo on Dec. 13, 2020 shows UPS and FedEx trucks carrying the first U.S. shipment of coronavirus vaccine leaving Pfizer's facility near Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Source: Twitter)

Initial COVID-19 vaccination is set to start as early as Monday, says Robert Redfield, adding it is the next step in the efforts to protect Americans, reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and help restore some normalcy to the lives of the American people and the country.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield said on Sunday he has signed the recommendation of a key CDC advisory group to use the COVID-19 vaccine of American drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech.

Initial COVID-19 vaccination is set to start as early as Monday, Redfield said in a statement.

"Last night, I was proud to sign the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation to use Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in people 16 and older," he said.