Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has applied to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency-use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, a move that would pave the way for potential initial distribution by the end of December, the New York Times reports.
With its German development partner BioNTech, Pfizer has developed an mRNA vaccine that spurs the production of antibodies in the body by injecting fragments of a synthetic version of the coronavirus.
Pfizer reported that the vaccine was effective in 95% of patients in clinical trials. To date, there have been no significant side effects from the vaccine in trials.
Pfizer developed the vaccine independent of the White House’s Operation Warp Speed, although the federal government has already contracted with the drug maker to get millions of doses.