A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted to recommend the approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, a move that could grant authorization of Pfizer’s vaccine as early as Friday.
If the FDA accepts the recommendation, it would be a massive moment in the Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 15.4 million people and killed over 290,000 others. The committee has also previously approved the flu and other vaccines in the U.S., saying they are safe for the general public to have.
It is not yet clear if Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine for use in certain groups will be allowed. Groups such as pregnant women and young children will likely have to wait until the trials are complete on specific groups.
The FDA has indicated it would authorize a Covid-19 vaccine that’s safe and at least 50% effective.
