EVANSVILLE (WEHT) – A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Thursday. The advisory group concluded the shot appears safe and effective against the virus in people 16 and older.
The recommendation now goes to the FDA, which is expected to make a final decision within days. Millions of vaccines would then be shipped across the country. Deaconess Hospital will be among the first in Indiana to receive the vaccine. Deaconess Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brad Scheu said this vaccine will be different from others.
“Some current vaccines are inoculating a version of the virus into people, so that are bodies build an immune response to it. This vaccine is different in that it is giving our bodies instructions which make a protein that our body then builds antibodies towards, so we’re not actually receiving the virus from the vaccine,” he said.
Sheau says Deaconess officials feel good about the safety of the vaccine and believe the FDA will not approve something that has not been vetted for its safety.
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(This story was originally published on December 10, 2020)
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