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As the first corona vaccine, the drug from Mainz-based pharmaceutical company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer received emergency approval in the US The vaccine can now be used in people 16 years of age and older, the US pharmaceutical agency announced. FDA on Friday night (local time). FDA chief Stephen Hahn spoke of a “major milestone in the fight against this devastating pandemic.” According to media reports, the White House is said to have previously threatened the FDA with urgent emergency approval.
The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, promised his compatriots the first vaccines this weekend after approval. “The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours,” Trump announced in a video posted on Twitter. Your government has already started shipping the vaccine. Trump emphasized that vaccines are free for all Americans.
Watching the vaccine develop in record time, he said, “This is one of the greatest scientific achievements in history.” The vaccine will save millions of lives “and end the pandemic once and for all.”
Trump presented the development as a success for his administration: the United States was “the first country in the world” to produce a provably safe and effective vaccine. However, this is not the case, as the US company Pfizer was a partner in the development of the vaccine by the German company Biontech. The product is already manufactured outside the US and is even used in some countries.
Pfizer and Biontech filed an emergency approval application with the FDA last month. They were the first Western manufacturers to publish promising study results and apply for such approval. An application has also been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (Ema) for approval of the corona vaccine in the EU, but a decision is still pending.
Earlier this month, the UK Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Authority granted the Biontech / Pfizer preparation an emergency approval. Britain became the first state in the world to approve the vaccine. Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico have now approved the vaccine as well.
Trump administration is said to have lobbied and threatened the FDA
According to media reports, the White House is said to have urged FDA chief Hahn to immediately approve the vaccine with threats on Friday. The Washington Post reported that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows asked Hahn to resign if the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine is not approved before the end of the day. the New York Times reported that Meadows had told Hahn that he should otherwise consider looking for another job.
Hahn himself spoke in a statement to the US media about “a false representation of the phone call with the chief of staff.” The FDA was “encouraged” to expeditiously process the application from Biontech and Pfizer. the New York Times He reported that the authority had scheduled approval for Saturday morning. It is unclear what the benefits are of speeding up approval in half a day.
Trump himself increased the pressure on the FDA on Friday. He criticized the agency as a “big, old, slow turtle.” On Twitter he wrote: “Give the damn shots now, Dr. Hahn. Stop playing games and start saving lives !!!” Trump had lobbied the agency multiple times in the past to approve corona vaccines and therapies. He had been harshly criticized for it.
Democrat and future president of the United States, Joe Biden, wants to implement a 100-day plan to fight the corona virus immediately after taking office in January. Part of the program is to administer at least 100 million doses of a vaccine within this period.
Moderna ships another 100 million doses of vaccines to the United States.
The American pharmaceutical company Moderna announced on Friday that the United States government was purchasing an additional 100 million doses of its candidate vaccine. These cans would be delivered in the second quarter of next year. The Washington government ordered a total of 200 million cans.
Of the first 100 million units already purchased by the US, Moderna would ship 20 million this month, with the remaining 80 million in the first quarter of 2021. The US would also have the option to purchase 300 million more cans than Modern The Moderna vaccine has not yet been approved by the FDA. An advisory committee wants to discuss this next Thursday.
Switzerland resolves curfew
Due to the persistently high number of corona infections, the government is cracking down on Switzerland. The measures decided on Friday remain weak compared to Germany and other neighboring countries. There are no curfews, shops and restaurants are not closed, and the ski areas remain open during Christmas and New Years. Meetings in private rooms are no longer restricted. Ten people can also meet, including children and without domestic restrictions. At the national level, restaurants, bars, shops, museums, libraries, as well as sports and leisure facilities should now close between 7 pm and 6 am That should apply until January 22. Apart from bars and restaurants, they must be closed on Sundays and holidays. On December 24 and for New Year’s Eve, the curfew does not apply until 1 am There should be exceptions for cantons where crown numbers are low.
On Friday, the number of new infections in Switzerland in 14 days was almost 622 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Germany, the value per 100,000 inhabitants was 156 in seven days.In addition to the measures adopted, only recommendations are applied to work at home if possible and to meet as few people as possible. If all this does not help, stricter measures would be taken, said Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga. “Participate, otherwise the blockade will get closer and closer,” warned Health Minister Alain Berset.
Like the federal states in Germany, the cantons are actually responsible for the measures in Switzerland. However, the government was frustrated that some were too hesitant. In western Switzerland, some restaurants and shops have been closed since November, in other cantons there were hardly any requirements beyond wearing a mask and keeping your distance.
France imposes curfew on New Year’s Eve
France is slowing down its crown-related restrictions. Museums, cinemas and theaters must now be closed until January, three weeks longer than promised. Prime Minister Jean Castex justified it on Thursday night in Paris with the words: “We have not yet reached the end of the second wave.” France has been particularly affected by the pandemic in the European Union.
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After weeks of lockdown, the government is holding on to the fact that as of Tuesday, permits that were previously required for citizens will no longer be needed. Then there’s a nightly curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The regulation also applies to New Year’s Eve, Castex said. “We have to be sensible,” warned the head of government. There will only be one exception for Christmas Eve.
France, with its around 67 million inhabitants, is still a long way from the target of less than 5,000 new infections per day. This mark was established by President Emmanuel Macron in November for further relaxation of restrictions. According to figures from Wednesday, more than 56,000 people have died so far. There were around 14,600 new infections in 24 hours.
