The United States kicked off a mass vaccination drive hoping to turn the tide on the world’s biggest coronavirus outbreak, as the nation’s death toll passed a staggering 300,000. The start of the desperately awaited vaccine program coincided with several European countries announcing new lockdowns amid spiralling infections, highlighting the long road to ending the global pandemic. The biggest vaccination drive in the history of US started as trucks carrying Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine pulled out of a Michigan warehouse.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said the pandemic has been horrific. It was a modern-day battlefield and that’s why the word heroes are so appreciated for what you did. The vaccine is the weapon that will end the war. It is the beginning of the last chapter of the book, Cuomo said just before Lindsay was given the vaccination. New York nurse Sandra Lindsay became the first person in America to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, live on television, six days after Britain launched the West’s vaccine campaign against Covid-19. “It didn’t feel any different from taking any other vaccine,” said Lindsay, a critical care nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, imploring all Americans to “do our part” by getting vaccinated. “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of the very painful time in our history,” she added.
The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to COVID-19 vaccine and it was decided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that the vaccine could be given to people age 16 and older in the US. Whereas, Canada recently amended its contract with Pfizer and BioNTech so that it would deliver up to 249,000 doses this month. Canada has contracts with six other vaccine makers and is currently reviewing three other vaccines, including one by Moderna.
Several countries, including Singapore, and Saudi Arabia approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval. The company’s mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, has shown 95 per cent efficacy at preventing COVID-19. The vaccinations come at one of the darkest phases of the pandemic, with cases in several countries soaring, and health experts still struggling against vaccine scepticism, lockdown fatigue, and uneven adherence to safety rules. The Netherlands was preparing to enter its strictest lockdown since the pandemic began, Britain announced new restrictions on London, and Turkey said it would go into a four-day lockdown over the New Year holidays.
As many as eight Covid-19 vaccine candidates are under different stages of clinical trials which could be ready for authorisation in the near future, including three indigenous vaccines. At present, three vaccine candidates – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Serum Institute-Oxford’s Covishield and Pfizer vaccine are in the fray for emergency use authorisation. Last week, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation had asked Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute to submit additional data to get approval.
