- US medical experts give green signal for Pfizer vaccine
- Can be used as emergency, suggests 23-member panel of FDA
Australia won’t rush, says Prime Minister Scott Morrison
New York: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine got approval by medical experts of US for emergency use which was suggested by them to USFDA. A team of panel consisting of 23 members decided to go for it after they reviewed vaccine efficacy and risks. Chief of FDA has to give the final, formal approval which may be announced in two days.
Pfizer vaccine has got green signal from UK, Canada, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As per the US Health Secretary, Alex Azhar, vaccine may be administered to most vulnerable by next week. The vaccine distribution programme and deliveries will start within 24 hrs once it is approved. US population is of 330 million and the shots required are two per person, but Pfizer plans only for 6.4 million doses to be released by December end as first roll out.
Vaccination for groups that are not at high risk may take place in spring 2021, it is learnt from officials. Moderna and National Institute of health which developed vaccine for COVID, also applied for emergency use which like Pfizer need two rounds of injections as dose.
Australia is not in a hurry to rush for the Pfizer’s vaccine until people get confidence in the products, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. “Case is different with Britain and US, but we want to ensure Australians – and I think all of us feel very strongly this way – have…absolute full confidence that when it gets the tick, they can get the job” Morrison further added.
Researchers in Australia abandoned development of potential vaccine for their country as it showed false positive results to HIV tests as it undermined the confidence of their country’s citizens.
Also Read: Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, first in the world to be rolled out
