FDA Approves Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use Friday, Baltimore Hospital Among The First To Administer Vaccine During Trial Back In May
BALTIMORE (CBS NEWS/WJZ) -- The FDA on Friday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, CBS News reports.
The University of Maryland School of Medicine was one of the first institutions in the United States to administer vaccines in the Pfizer trial back in May, according to Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, the school's Director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health.
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At the time, Neuzil said the Pfizer vaccine was deemed more than 90 percent effective. Since then, Pfizer reports the vaccine is 95 percent effective for adults 18 to 64.
Cynthia Sikorski, who lives in Howard County, took one of the first experimental doses of the Pfizer vaccine. She said she's been COVID-free.
"(I'm) very, very happy to hear that they are so close," Sikorski told WJZ in May. "It's just a huge breakthrough for everyone."
On Thursday, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, a senior CDC official, said "active surveillance systems" will be in place to monitor the safety of the first vaccine recipients to track any potential adverse side effects.
Gov. Larry Hogan released a plan for vaccine distribution in Maryland this week.
In the governor's plan, he broke Marylanders into groups based on priority.
Pfizer's vaccine could be available to Americans as early as Monday.
President Donald Trump tweeted Friday night it could be available in 24 hours.
For more on Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, visit cbsnews.com.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.