This is a big blow for mandatory vax. Also big that they did not follow the advisory committee's recommendation.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-advisory-panel-recommends-mercks-covid-pill-emergency-use-rcna7107
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend Merck’s experimental antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 for emergency use authorization, paving the way for the agency to clear the first oral drug for the disease.
Members of the agency’s Antimicrobial Drugs Advisory Committee voted 13-10 in favor of the treatment, called molnupiravir, for use in adults with mild to moderate Covid-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization.
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During the daylong public meeting, committee members raised numerous questions and expressed concerns about the safety and efficacy of the drug, which is made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, before narrowly voting in favor.
AMDAC chair Dr. Lindsey Baden said following the vote that most of the committee members appeared to fall in the middle when weighing the risks versus the benefits of the drug.