US Govt authorizes Pfizer COVID vaccine for emergency use

The US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine as The United States of America witnessed a rise in COVID cases in the past few weeks.

With the approval of the vaccine, millions of highly vulnerable people are all set to receive the first dose of the drug within a few days.

US President Donald Trump informed that the first Pfizer vaccine will be administered in the US within the next 24 hours.

He said, “Today, our nation has achieved a medical miracle. We have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just 9 months. This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history. It will save millions of lives and end the pandemic once and for all. The Pfizer vaccine is over 95% effective, far exceeding expectations. This vaccine will be free for all Americans. We have already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code in the country. The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours.”

Shots of the vaccine for health workers and other health workers are expected to commence soon after the FDA approval for the vaccine, which is considered as one of the most potent drugs in from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech.

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This could prove critical as the threat for a bigger surge in cases was anticipated in the long, grim winter season.

A panel of advisors to the U.S Food and Drug Administration voted to endorse the emergency use of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine, making a way for the agency to authorize the shot.

The committee voted 17-4 that the known benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks of taking the shot for individuals 16 and older, with 1 member of the panel abstaining.

The United States set a new record for COVID deaths in a single day on Wednesday, with more than 3,000 people succumbing to the disease. The U.S. recorded 3,054 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday beating the previous record from the spring, which was 2,769 deaths on May 7.

Deaths lag behind cases and hospitalizations, which have been spiking for weeks, and now the death toll is setting records too. The spread of the virus shows no signs of slowing down in the short term as winter weather sets in and more activity moves indoors, where the virus spreads more easily.

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