A federal advisory board on Thursday recommended the emergency use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
What We Know:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is anticipated to approve the drug, creating a heavy coast to coast movement to get close to 3 million doses of vaccine to hospitals and drug stores nationwide.
“We’ve been working very closely with our state and local partners to make sure they have plans in place to recognize providers that can receive, store and use the vaccine,” Dr. Anita Patel, CDC’s vaccine task force deputy, expressed.
- Experts voted 17 to 4 to approve the drug for emergency use for adults and teenagers who are over 16 years and older. First in line will be healthcare workers and nursing home residents.
- Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla praised the board’s verdict. “We are pleased with the strong majority vote, and if the FDA issues an authorization, stand at the ready to bring this vaccine to people in the U.S. to help combat this devastating pandemic,” Bourla mentioned in a statement.
- The news arises as the virus continues growing across the country. On Wednesday, the U.S. reported the most deaths in a single day, over 3,000, and hospitals are reaching capacity levels in intensive care units. Almost 300,000 Americans died from the virus, which has sickened over 15 million people in the U.S., as reported by the Johns Hopkins University.
- Speaking to the board Thursday, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a senior CDC official, stated “active surveillance systems” will be stated to monitor the safety of the first vaccine recipients to trace any possible adverse side effects. Messonnier said the systems would provide useful information about how the vaccine is affecting different communities.
Pfizer spokespeople mentioned they had seen no signs of allergic reactions in their analysis. But some of the FDA advisers worry the British warning will discourage millions of Americans with allergies who might benefit from the COVID-19 vaccine from giving it a try and urged additional studies to try to settle the issue.
