First COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use in the United States
WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — The U.S. FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the United States and inoculation could begin within 48 hours.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine produced by New York-based Pfizer and German-based BioNTech. This is the final regulatory hurdle.
This is the fastest-developed vaccine in history, but doctors said it is safe and the process of working toward EUA has been methodical.
Nearly one year after the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, was discovered in Wuhan, China, the light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic appears to be closer.
How soon are you immune to the coronavirus after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine?
It’s been a year full of deaths, illness, lockdowns and loneliness, impacting lives in all areas from social interactions to the way people die. And in its path, a trail of economic devastation caused hardships for people across the globe.
While it will be a slow path toward a return to “normal life,” a vaccine has been what many in the U.S. and around the world have been waiting for.
A panel of independent scientists recommended approving the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, marking one of the last steps before the EUA.
“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,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn said in a statement.
The FDA will hold a briefing on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. (ET). HHS and DOD will hold a briefing with Operation Warp Speed on Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. (ET). NewsNation Now will stream the news conferences in this story.
“As a U.S. company, today’s news brings great pride and tremendous joy that Pfizer has risen to the challenge to develop a vaccine that has the potential to help bring an end to this devastating pandemic. We have worked tirelessly to make the impossible possible, steadfast in our belief that science will win,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer in a statement.
Who gets it first?
The first vaccinations are expected to happen within 24 to 48 hours of FDA approval, according to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser for the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed program.
The first recipients will be health care workers and nursing home residents, according to plans laid out by each state.
Two doses administered three weeks apart are required for protection.
Under its contract with Pfizer, President Donald Trump’s administration committed to buying an initial 100 million doses. Since the vaccine requires two shots, the first batch will cover 50 million Americans.
The general public won’t see the vaccine until 2021.
“By the time you get to the middle or end of the second quarter, namely April, May, June, July, that the people in the general public will be able to get vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading public health expert told NewsNation in November.
Fauci said having the vaccine doesn’t mean people can let their guard down.
“That is really in our own hands and in our own power,” Fauci said. “So, universal masks, keeping distance, avoiding crowds in congregant settings, particularly indoor, doing things outdoor preferentially, washing your hands. They seem very simple, but those are things that prevent the surges that we’re seeing now.”
https://www.krqe.com/top-stories/first-covid-19-vaccine-authorized-for-use-in-the-united-states/