Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine clears key hurdle

One day after the United States reported more than 3,100 daily deaths from COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee gave the green light on Thursday to recommend the agency grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine. 

Seventeen members of the panel voted yes, four voted no and one abstained.

Following the panel's thumbs up, Health and Human Services chief Alex Azar said on Friday that the FDA will grant emergency use authorization for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the next couple of days

In a statement today the FDA said it also has notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Operation Warp Speed, so they can execute their plans for timely vaccine distribution. 

Azar said he expects Americans could begin getting the vaccine on Monday.