After push from the White House and health experts, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use Dec. 11, 2020.
This would be the first vaccine approved to be safe and effective for use in adults and teenagers 16 and older.
Vaccinations won't begin until after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee recommends the vaccine, and the CDC accepts that recommendation.
The approval Friday came nearly 24 hours after the FDA advisory panel endorsed the vaccine for widespread use Dec. 10 in a 17-4 vote with one abstention.
As the world watched and waited for the approval, the small city of Portage, Michigan, received national attention.
Pfizer’s facility in Portage would play a key role in the vaccine’s distribution.
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Kalamazoo, called the vaccine the pride and joy of Kalamazoo.
“It has been a labor of love, patriotic duty, and determination to restore our way of life and save the world,” Upton said in a written statement.
“I cannot reiterate enough how proud I am of southwest Michigan and all of the Michiganders part of Pfizer’s team. This is a historic accomplishment, creating a safe, effective vaccine to help end this deadly pandemic. Because of the work we did on 21st Century Cures - which accelerated the development and discovery of medical cures and devices and helped bring treatments, cures, and vaccines to market faster and more efficiently – Pfizer’s vaccine is ready in record time and we can begin on our road to recovery. The light at the end of the tunnel is now shining bright on our community for mastering the challenge. Well done, our Pfizer faithful!”
Dry ice from a Kalamazoo company would play an important role in the shipping and delivery of vaccines. The vaccine required freezers at -80 degrees Celsius for storage.
Dr. Hal Jenson, founding dean of Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine, said WMed had the capacity to store 350,000 doses of the vaccine.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s top doctor, released a four-phase distribution plan for the vaccine, with health care workers and people who work and live in long-term care facilities making the top of the priority list.
She said the state expected over 84,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the first shipment. Yet, it was subject to change.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released a statement after the FDA approval:
“This is great news for our families, frontline workers, small businesses, and economy. In Michigan, a state built on hard work and innovation, a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine will be manufactured by Michigan workers at a Michigan business. I want to thank all of our dedicated Pfizer employees for their hard work. My administration, led by Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, is developing a plan to distribute the vaccine, with a focus on our most vulnerable populations. And today, I announced the bipartisan Protect Michigan Commission to help raise awareness of the safety and effectiveness of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, educate the people of this state, and help protect the health and safety of all Michigan residents. One of the most important things every adult should be doing now is planning for how they will get the vaccine when it becomes available to them. I want to remind everyone that we must not let our guard down. It will take time to widely distribute the vaccine, and we must all continue to do our part by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing our hands frequently.”
Britain was the first country to approve the Pfizer vaccine Dec. 2, 2020.