WTF Just Happened Today

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

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1/ The FDA said Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine “met the prescribed success criteria” for emergency authorization in a clinical study, saying the shot showed “a favorable safety profile, with no specific safety concerns.” The FDA noted that the two-dose vaccine reduced the risk of getting COVID-19 by about half after the first injection. The vaccine was found to be 95% effective after the second dose, three weeks later. The vaccine had several tolerable, short-term side effects, including sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, and chills that typically resolved within one to two days. The FDA will meet Thursday to discuss the data and make recommendations in advance of a vote on whether to recommend authorization of the Pfizer vaccine. (Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / NBC News / ABC News)

• The U.K. started distributing the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine less than a week after Britain granted emergency use authorization. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The Trump administration declined “multiple” offers from Pfizer to secure an additional 100 million to 500 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine. In July, Pfizer offered the Trump administration the option to purchase additional doses as part of a $1.95 billion deal for an initial 100 million doses. The Trump administration, however, turned down the offer. The Pfizer vaccine requires a two-dose treatment, meaning that 100 million doses is enough to vaccinate 50 million Americans. On Nov. 11, the European Union finalized a supply deal with Pfizer for 200 million doses. Trump, meanwhile, issued a symbolic executive order that prioritized the shipment of the coronavirus vaccine to Americans before other nations. Moncef Slaoui, the chief scientist of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, however, was unable to explain how the executive order would be enforced, saying: “Frankly, I don’t know, and frankly, I’m staying out of this. I can’t comment. I literally don’t know.” (New York Times / CNN / Politico / Axios / The Guardian / ABC News)

• ???? Dept. of “We Have It Totally Under Control.”

• Global: Total confirmed cases: ~68,047,000; deaths: ~1,554,000