The end of this pandemic may be inching closer after it was announced on Friday (December 11) that the FDA has approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. It's reported that an emergency distribution has been approved and millions of vaccines—which have been tested to be 95 percent effective—will be shipped out as soon as possible. If all goes well, vaccinations can begin within days.
"The FDA's authorization for emergency use of the first COVID-19 vaccine is a significant milestone in battling this devastating pandemic that has affected so many families in the United States and around the world," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said in a statement. "Today's action follows an open and transparent review process that included input from independent scientific and public health experts and a thorough evaluation by the agency's career scientists to ensure this vaccine met FDA's rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization."
He continued, "The tireless work to develop a new vaccine to prevent this novel, serious, and life-threatening disease in an expedited timeframe after its emergence is a true testament to scientific innovation and public-private collaboration worldwide."
The initial distribution will be a great undertaking as there will be approximately 3 million vaccines sent to 600 locations. There's still another step before that happens. "Before vaccinations can begin, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immunization advisory committee still must vote to recommend the vaccine, and the CDC must accept that recommendation," reports CNN.
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