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U.S. panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine »
WASHINGTON » A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country one step away from launching its epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak.
Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration signs off, as expected, on the expert committee’s recommendation.
In a 17-4 vote with one abstention, the government advisers concluded that the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appears safe and effective for emergency use in adults and teenagers 16 and older.
That endorsement came despite questions about allergic reactions in two people who received the vaccine earlier this week, when Britain became the first country to begin dispensing the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
Despite all the remaining unknowns, in an emergency, “the question is whether you know enough,” said panel member Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who concluded that the shot’s potential benefits outweigh its risks.
The independent review by non-government experts in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics was considered critical to boosting Americans’ confidence in the safety of the shot, which was developed at breakneck speed, less than a year after the virus was identified.
Pfizer has said it will have about 25 million doses of the two-shot vaccine for the U.S. by the end of December. But initial supplies will be limited, and reserved primarily for health care workers and nursinghome residents, with other vulnerable groups next in line, until the shots become widely available on demand, which will probably not happen until spring.
Experts estimate at least 70% of the U.S. population will have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the point at which the virus can be held in check. That means it could be several months before things start get back to normal and Americans can put away their masks.
The FDA next week will review a second vaccine, from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, that appears about as protective as Pfizer-BioNTech’s shot. A third candidate, from Johnson & Johnson, which would require just one dose, is working its way through the pipeline. Behind that is a candidate from AstraZeneca and Oxford University
FDA staff scientists will make the final decision on whether to green-light use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Regulators in Britain and Canada have already approved it for use in their countries, and President Donald Trump and White House officials have complained for weeks about the pace of FDA’s careful review.
FDA’s vaccine director Dr. Peter Marks said ahead of the expert meeting that a decision would come within “days to a week.”
“Americans want us to do a scientific review, but I think they also want us to make sure we’re not wasting time on paperwork as opposed to going forward with the decision,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said before the meeting.
A positive vote for the vaccine was virtually assured after FDA scientists issued a glowing review of the vaccine earlier in the week. Agency staffers said data from Pfizer’s ongoing study of 44,000 people showed strong protection across different age groups, races and health conditions, with no major, unexpected safety problems.
The Pfizer-BioNTech shot remains experimental, because that final-stage study isn’t complete. As a result, the expert panel wrestled with a list of questions that have yet to be answered.
For example, while the vaccine is more than 90% effective in blocking the symptoms of COVID-19, the FDA’s advisers stressed it is not yet clear if it can stop the silent, symptomless spread that accounts for up to half of cases.
“Even though the individual efficacy of this vaccine is very, very, very high, you really as of right now do not have any evidence” that it will lower transmission, said Dr. Patrick Moore of the University of Pittsburgh. He urged Pfizer to take additional steps to answer that question.
And the advisers are worried that Pfizer will lose its opportunity to answer critical questions as it begins offering the real vaccine to study participants who had been getting dummy shots.