U.S. Authorizes the First Vaccine to Fight Pandemic

A Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE was the first to gain the federal government’s permission to go into use in the U.S., a landmark step in efforts to beat back the raging pandemic.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of the shot on Friday, following its record-setting swift development, sets the stage for administration of inoculations to begin within a day or two.

The decision clears use of the shots in people 16 years and older, including the elderly.

President Trump, in a video posted on Twitter Friday night, called the vaccine a “medical miracle.”

“This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history,” he said, speaking from the Oval Office. “It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.”