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(CNN) – The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for people 16 years of age and older, bringing the United States a step closer to vaccinating millions of people.
Eleven members of the committee voted in favor of the recommendation and three were challenged.
Still, vaccines cannot yet be administered in the United States.
First, the US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines on Friday, following a recommendation from their own vaccine advisers. ACIP met on Saturday and voted to recommend that the CDC approve the vaccine for use in the US and add it to the vaccine schedule.
Now the CDC must decide whether to accept ACIP’s recommendation. Once that happens, the vaccines can be given.
Officials at the US federal government Operation Warp Speed say they are already packing vaccines to ship for delivery Monday.
‘The beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic’
During Saturday’s meeting, ACIP members heard presentations on the public’s willingness to get the vaccine, who should and who shouldn’t get it, and how it will be communicated to healthcare providers and the general public.
ACIP members said Saturday that their evaluation of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine was independent and transparent.
“I believe that the process we have used here at ACIP to reach this decision is transparent, science-based, fair-minded, and is, at this time, the best we can do,” said the ACIP member. , Dr. Beth Bell, clinical professor of global health at the University of Washington.
Several committee members said they would take the vaccine and recommend it to their family members.
“I want to say that I voted in favor of the vaccine because of the clear evidence of its efficacy / safety profile and benefit-risk profile, based on our evidence and policy framework,” said Dr. Peter Szilagyi, University pediatrician. California Los Angeles and an ACIP member said immediately after the committee vote.
Szilagyi said he wanted to emphasize the need for substantially more government funding to actually implement the recommendation.
“So this is government funding for state and local public health organizations, and also funding for health systems and healthcare providers,” Szilagyi said. “So I know that we are going to have very tough and difficult times ahead due to the increase and limited supply of vaccines, but I am very hopeful that this is the beginning of the end of the coronavirus pandemic.”
This story was first published on CNN.com ‘CDC Vaccine Advisors Vote to Recommend Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine in the United States’
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