Daily US Times: The US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has again come under high pressure from the White House to approve emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine.
Stephen Hahn, the head of FDA, was told to approve it on Friday or quit, although he called this “untrue”.
The spotlight of high pressure fell on the FDA after its panel of experts on Thursday supported the Pfizer vaccine. The US health secretary said it should roll out in a couple of days.
The Pfizer vaccine has approval in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Bahrain.
The US recorded more than 3,000 deaths on Wednesday – the highest total in a single day anywhere in the world.
Medical experts on Thursday advising the FDA recommended the emergency-use approval. A 23-member panel concluded the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s benefits outweighed its risks.
The FDA statement said in a statement: “Following yesterday’s positive advisory committee meeting outcome regarding the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, the US Food and Drug Administration has informed the sponsor that it will rapidly work toward finalisation and issuance of an emergency use authorisation.”
President Donald Trump sent out an angry tweet on Friday calling the FDA a “big, old, slow turtle”, adding: “Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr Hahn. Stop playing games and start saving lives.”
According to the Washington Post, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had ordered FDA Commissioner Hahn to approve the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday or submit his resignation, citing three sources.
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