Possible COVID-19 vaccine to be reviewed by FDA next month

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It’s been a long and tragic year, but help with COVID-19 is on the way.

Pfizer is in the process of applying for an emergency use authorization (EAU) from the FDA for its vaccine, which has proven to be 95% effective in a trial. The FDA just announced it will review Pfizer’s EUA on Dec. 10.

Once they get approved, the vaccine will be distributed. As we learned Friday from the White House group “Operation Warp Speed,” 40 million doses are ready to go right now.

“We’re going to get it down to the state. States are going to tell us exactly where they want it to be, and we can put it in one place in the state or we can put it in 10,000 places in the state,” the U.S. Army General Gustave Perna said.

Not everyone is jumping at the chance to be vaccinated.

“I would take the vaccine, but not right away. I would wait about two to three more months until I see the outcome of how it’s being received by other people willing to take it right away, and people who are critically ill,” registered nurse Keith Augustine said.

Others are all for as much COVID-19 prevention as we can get.

“I think I would feel very comfortable as long as it’s been approved by the FDA and Dr. Fauci,” one viewer stated.

Texas Children’s Hospital, Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist are finalizing their distribution plans.

Next week, the state of Texas plans to release its list of which hospitals and providers will get the vaccine. Harris County Public Health said it will go to health care workers and those in critical infrastructure first.

“There was a call today, and they are not ready to make those announcements just yet. They’re still in discussion about the priority of the vaccine because there’s lots of things considered critical infrastructure,” Mac McClendon, Director of Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, said.

The FDA says it will be very meticulous and transparent when considering Pfizer’s vaccine, and will stream its Dec. 10 meeting on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the FDA website.

Operation Warp Speed says as soon as a vaccine is approved, they would be ready roughly 24 hours after to ship out vaccines across the country.