Pfizer is shipping out the first Covid-19 vaccines around the United States, meaning the first Americans could be vaccinated as early as Monday. Dr. Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a member of President-elect Biden's Covid advisory board, joined "Squawk Box" on Monday to discuss. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi A health advisor to President-elect Joe Biden on Monday urged Americans to have confidence in Covid-19 vaccines, telling CNBC the regulatory review for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine adhered to scientific protocols. “We know that this process that has been used by the U.S. to evaluate and to approve the vaccine for emergency use was robust. It was science-based and it was transparent,” Dr. Julie Morita said on “Squawk Box.” “That should be very reassuring to the public because we know the vaccines are safe and effective.” The Food and Drug Administration on Friday night granted emergency clearance for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, setting in motion the complex logistical challenge of distributing it across the U.S. Health-care workers and residents of long-term care facilities are expected to receive the vaccine first. The FDA is set to meet later this week on an emergency use application from Moderna. Supplies of both vaccines, which were developed in less than a year in response to the devastating coronavirus pandemic, will be limited initially. Morita — executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on public health — said the vaccines receiving limited regulatory approval is just one hurdle that needs to be cleared. “Vaccines don’t stop pandemics. Making sure that people are vaccinated is what can stop this pandemic,” said Morita, who sits on a team of health experts who are advising Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Covid-19. A lack of trust in the vaccine may stop people from wanting to receive the shots, Morita said. Indeed, even in nursing homes, which have been been hit hard by Covid-19 outbreaks, there is skepticism of the vaccine. Overall, 60% of Americans say they will definitely or probably get the vaccine, according to a Pew Research poll from earlier this month. In September, Pew found that figure to be 51%. Before the Nov. 3 election, in which Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump, some voters were worried Trump was rushing along vaccine development to boost his chances of winning a second term, according to a CNBC poll in September. Morita, former health commissioner for the city of Chicago, stressed Monday that the American people should understand that the vaccines are “safe, that they’re effective, and the process was not influenced by politics.” » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. The News with Shepard Smith is CNBC’s daily news podcast providing deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day’s most important stories. Available to listen by 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT daily beginning September 30: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/the-news-with-shepard-smith-podcast.html?__source=youtube%7Cshepsmith%7Cpodcast Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: http://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-credit-cards/ #CNBC #CNBCTV