New York City hospitals are prepping for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine as the nation waits for final authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Director of the National Center for Infectious Disease and Allergies Dr. Anthony Fauci says the vaccine is the quickest way for a return to life before the pandemic.

"If we have a smooth vaccination program where everybody steps to the plate quickly, we could get back to some form of normality quickly into the summer and certainly by the fall," Fauci says.

The state's independent COVID-19 Clinical Advisory Task Force met Thursday and Gov. Andrew Cuomo is discussing what communities need to be prioritized.

Cuomo says New York can expect the first delivery of the vaccine as soon as this weekend and is calling on the federal government to ensure that underserved communities are a focus in the distribution plan.

The governor says communities of color and immigrant populations who have been hit hardest by the pandemic can't be ignored.

Both Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have been working on a distribution plan for the vaccine.

There are 90 regional centers capable of storing the vaccine at ultra-cold temperatures.

Health care workers and nursing home residents will be among the first people to receive the coronavirus vaccine.