Covid-19 Vaccine May be Approved for Emergency Use Before Phase 3 Trials End

As coronavirus cases in the U.S. have officially hit 6 million, the FDA Commissioner has announced a Covid-19 vaccine may become available before phase three trials conclude. Dr. Stephen Hahn said this is because the agency might consider emergency use authorization. Hahn confirmed “EUA is not the same as full FDA approval” but that the benefits of the vaccine may outweigh potential risks amid the public health crisis. Phase 3 trials are currently underway for two U.S. based companies with two more expected to reach that same level in a matter of weeks. But not everyone is on board with potential emergency use authorization. The majority of criticism comes from democrats and some medical experts who believe a vaccine may be rushed for political reasons. There have been calls made for a separate independent investigation, outside of the FDA, into the vaccines currently being developed. Hahn responded by saying the decision to utilize EUA would be based solely on data.