The first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely be frontline health care workers and elderly people living in nursing homes. | Shutterstock
The first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine will likely be frontline health care workers and elderly people living in nursing homes. | Shutterstock
A advisory committee has recommended that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making the vaccine a reality.
In Michigan, where the coronavirus has killed 10,752 residents, according to Michigan.gov, this vaccine has been much anticipated.
During the committee meeting, members voted to recommend its approval 17-4. The FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 11, allowing the state to receive 250,000 doses. While this is a small amount of what will eventually be needed, it's a start in helping to prevent the spread of the virus.
With only two months of data, the Pfizer vaccine was developed quickly, but in order to be approved, it needs to have a high efficacy rate, in addition to presenting a transparent process. With such an accelerated time line, some wonder if the vaccine can actually deliver results safely.
“We don't know what short- and long-term harms are, given the short duration” of data, Kim Witczak, a consumer advocate for drug safety, told Bridge Michigan.
But others have said the safety and efficacy data outweighs any potential risks.
Another highly effective coronavirus vaccine, made by Massachusetts-based Moderna, could be approved later this week, Bridge Michigan reported.
With the news of vaccines receiving FDA approval, it's still unknown how soon the vaccines would be available in Michigan.
Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), said approximately 300 hospitals, health clinics and health departments have signed up to receive vaccines when they arrive in Michigan.
Pfizer started shipping out vaccines from the Kalamazoo plant within hours after FDA approval. The company said it will supply over 33 million doses of the vaccine to the U.S. by the end of the year, and over 100 million by the spring.
Robert Gordon, the MDHHS director, said the vaccine won't be mandatory in the state, and President-elect Joe Biden expressed a similar answer when asked. However, employers could potentially require the vaccine as a requirement of employment, Bridge Michigan reported.
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