US gives its nod to Pfizer covid vaccine in less than 24 hours

New Delhi, 12/12: Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has got go-ahead from the US Government on Friday, making way for millions of vulnerable people to receive their shots in the world’s hardest-hit country. The move came earlier than expected, and capped a day of drama after it was widely reported that the White House had threatened to fire Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn if he did not grant emergency approval Friday.

The US is now the sixth country to approve the two-dose regimen, after Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.

President Donald Trump immediately released a video on Twitter, where he hailed the news as a “medical miracle” and said the first immunizations would take place “in less than 24 hours.”