WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the US will start administering the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine “in less than 24 hours,” after the Food and Drug Adminstration granted it an emergency use authorization late Friday.
“The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours,” Trump said in a televised address released on Twitter.
“Through our partnership with FedEx and UPS, we have already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code in the country,” he said, adding that governors would decide who would receive the shots first in their states.
In this illustration file photo taken on November 23, 2020 showing a bottle reading “Vaccine COVID-19” and a syringe next to the Pfizer and BioNtech logos. – An expert committee convened by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 10, 2020, voted heavily in favor of recommending the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use approval. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)
“We want our senior citizens, health care workers and first responders to be first in line,” said Trump. “This will quickly and dramatically reduce deaths and hospitalizations.”