Washington [US], September 24 (ANI/Sputnik): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration is providing USD 200 million to all US states to prepare for the distribution of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine to high-risk people as soon as it is available.

"Today my administration announced that we are awarding USD 200 million of CARES Act funding to all 50 states to prepare to distribute the vaccine to high-risk residents," Trump said in a press briefing here on Wednesday.

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Trump also said a fourth vaccine candidate has entered the final phase of clinical trials in the United States.

He has promised that 100 million doses of a vaccine will be distributed throughout the United States by the end of the year. A vaccine could be available for distribution as early as mid-October, he added.

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The United States has reported nearly 7 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 201,000 deaths caused by the disease as of Wednesday evening, according to the Johns Hopkins University count. (ANI/Sputnik)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)