WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has given the final go-ahead to the nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine, launching emergency vaccinations in a bid to end the pandemic.
Read the full approval letter from the FDA here.
Shots will begin in a few days after Friday's decision by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA called the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech safe and strongly protective.
President Trump released a statement on Twitter following the announcement, calling it "one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history."
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020
But initial doses are scarce and rationed, with health workers and nursing home residents first in line.
Enough for the general population isn't expected until spring, and experts urge people to mask up and keep their distance during a long, grim winter.