The US Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it is speeding up work to issue emergency use approval for the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, the FDA said that following the decision of an advisory panel Thursday, it has notified the vaccine’s manufacturers that it will “work rapidly toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization.”
“The agency has also notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed, so they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution.”
President Donald Trump responded shortly afterwards, calling on the FDA to immediately grant emergency use approval for the vaccine, saying the move is needed to save lives.
“While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic US FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle,” Trump tweeted.
“Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!”
“The Swine Flu (H1N1), and the attempt for a vaccine by the Obama Administration, with Joe Biden in charge, was a complete and total disaster. Now they want to come in and take over one of the ‘greatest and fastest medical miracles in modern day history.’ I don’t think so!”
“I just want to stop the world from killing itself!”
Earlier this week, Britain began administering doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the first injection administered Tuesday in Coventry.
Israel received its first doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on Wednesday morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel would begin distributing coronavirus vaccines starting on December 27, with the goal of providing 60,000 vaccines a day.