Pfizer vaccine may get US FDA's emergency use authorisation by Sunday

Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine has been cleared by experts at the United States Food and Drug Administration, paving the way for the agency to authorize its use.

The FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which includes independent scientific experts, infectious disease doctors and statisticians, voted 17 in favour, four against and with one abstention for emergency authorization of the two-dose regimen for people 16 and above. 
 

Although the FDA does not necessarily have to abide by the recommendation of its advisory panel, in this case it could very well do so.
 

Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine is expected to get an emergency use authorization by the weekend, sources said.

The US aims to vaccinate 20 million people this month, with long-term care facility residents and health workers at the front of the line.
 

The vaccine has sought a similar authorisation in India.
 

Pfizer has said it will have differential pricing on its Covid-19 vaccine for different countries, as the company aims to make the vaccine available across the world.

Controversial side-effects
 

In United Kingdom, which started administering people with the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, four volunteers in the trial stage have developed Bell's palsy -- a form of temporary facial paralysis. 
 

US FDA says it is unclear if the medical condition was caused because of the vaccine.
 

Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla has reiterated that the pharma giant did not "cut any corners" while rolling out the vaccines.
 

He further said, "The vaccine has been tested in the exact same way as we are testing any vaccine that is circulating out there. This vaccine actually was tested, because of the scrutiny, with even higher standards in terms of how we do things."
 

"Always there are people who are sceptical about vaccines, but I have to say they are wrong," the Pfizer CEO added.