Azar says 1st U.S. COVID-19 vaccinations could begin Monday or Tuesday

This illustration picture taken on November 23, 2020 shows a bottle reading "Vaccine Covid-19" and a syringe next to the Pfizer and Biontech logo
(Image credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will "rapidly work toward" authorizing Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, potentially meaning Americans could start receiving it as soon as Monday or Tuesday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told Good Morning America on Friday that the FDA has informed Pfizer "they do intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine," and so "we should be seeing the authorization" within days. FDA officials in a statement confirmed the agency "will rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization" of the vaccine.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.