NEW DELHI: Pfizer has started shipping the first batches of its long expected and newly-permitted COVID-19 vaccine out of its Michigan manufacturing facility, setting in motion the biggest vaccination drive in American history at a time when the pandemic has infected more than 16,700,000 people in the country.
Wes Wheeler, President, UPS Healthcare, on Saturday, December 12, said during an interview that they have spent months planning with Operation warp Speed Officials and the time has come to put the plan into action. Soon after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted authorisation for emergency use to Pfizer vaccine, Donald Trump, President of the US, announced that the vaccine will start rolling out in less than 24 hours. He also asserted that it has been made sure that the vaccine will be free to all Americans.
Dr Stephen M Hahn, Commissioner of FDA, said that the authorisation granted by FDA for emergency use of the first corona virus vaccine is a significant milestone in fighting this devastating pandemic that has impacted so many lives in the US and around the world. He further said that this action comes after an open and transparent review process that also included input from independent scientific and experts of public health. There also was a thorough evaluation by scientists to make sure that the vaccine met FDA’s scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and quality needed to support emergency use authorisation.