Published 09:51 IST, December 12th 2020
Trump promises 'free vaccines' after Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine earns FDA nod
The US has granted emergency use authorization to the Pfizer-BionNTech COVID-19 vaccine, following which Trump has assured 'free vaccines for all Americans'.
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The US on Friday has given a green light to the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine. The development came after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of a vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech. US President Donald Trump has reacted to the development and assured free vaccine for all Americans.
'Free vaccine for all Americans'
Taking to Twitter, Trump announced that the FDA's decision to authorize emergency use of Pfizer's Covid vaccine. Terming the decision as a 'medical miracle' Trump has thanked all the scientists, doctors and workers for the vaccine. In addition, Trump has also stated that his administration had disbursed over two hundred million dollars to Pfizer for the development of over a hundred million doses of the vaccine. Trump further assured that the vaccine will be free for all Americans.
"I am proud to say that we have made sure that this vaccine will be free for all Americans." said Trump
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
Following the nod from the FDA, the US government had also tied up with FedEx and UPS to ship the vaccine doses to every state in the country. Apart from this announcement, Trump has also remarked that the vaccine's first dose will be administered within 24 hours. However, Trump has expressed that the senior citizens, healthcare workers and first responders will be the first ones to receive Pfizer’s Covid vaccine.
US allows Pfizer Covid vaccine's emergency use
The US government gave the final go-ahead on Friday to the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine, marking a possible end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans. Following the announcement and Trump's address to the country, shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days after the FDA authorization for an emergency rollout of what promises to be a strongly protective vaccine from Pfizer Inc. The move sets off what will be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, but it also has global ramifications because it’s a role model to many other countries facing the same decision.
(With AP Inputs)
09:50 IST, December 12th 2020