Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine receives emergency use authorization

Article

Following the green light from the vaccine advisory committee, the US Food and Drug Administration has given emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first vaccine for COVID-19 approved for use in the United States.

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in people aged 16 years and older. The authorization came soon after the vaccine received the green light from the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on December 10, 2020.

Doses of the vaccine have already started shipping in the United States and it’s expected that 40 million doses will be made available by the end of 2020. It’s believed that health care workers and patients at highest risk of poor outcomes from the disease, such as nursing home residents, will be in the first group to receive the vaccine.

For more on the vaccine’s authorization, check out the coverage from our sister publication Drug Topics.

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