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Summary
- An FDA expert panel in the US gave their nod for Pfizer's vaccine for emergency use.
- FDA's formal approval for Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is expected shortly.
- Pfizer has said that the recommendation is based on scientific evidence.
In a significant recent development, the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine gets FDA officials panel's nod for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the vaccine. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) has endorsed the use of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine in the US.
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The Board had a meeting to decide whether the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine outweigh the risks. The panel concluded with 17-4 vote with one abstention that the vaccine looks safe and efficient against the COVID-19 infection in the age group of 16 and above.
The vaccine has already been granted for the public use in the UK, Bahrain, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. In the US it still needs an official FDA approval which is expected soon. The Pfizer vaccine has been one of the front liners in coronavirus vaccine race in the US. There were speculations of it getting approved before the presidential elections in November.
Related: Pfizer to Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccine Just Before the US Election
There is an urgent requirement for an effective vaccine in the country as the superpower US has been one of the most adversely impacted nations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As per WHO, between 3 January 2020 to 10 December 2020 (5:46 PM CET), the total confirmed cases in the US were 14,972,356 with 283,994 deaths.
Pfizer is pleased with the recommendation
Source: Pfizer’s website
Pfizer has reported that the experts' group had based their vaccine endorsement on the scientific evidence shared in the clinical trials report. The phase 3 data showed the vaccination efficacy of around 95% in people with no prior COVID-19 infection.
