Why it could be a huge mistake to wait longer for full approval of a COVID-19 vaccine?

 

Why it could be a huge mistake for the FDA to wait longer for full approval of a COVID-19 vaccine?

Both Pfizer and Moderna, which were granted emergency use late last year, have submitted their applications for full approval, and it appears that the former is set to receive the go-ahead no later than January 2022. Consider Tofficki (a sociologist) for example. , that comes sealing much more quickly than that. "It would be a huge mistake for the agency to take another six months," she wrote to The Times, explaining that the extra waiting time "has allowed some anti-vaccinators to claim that the vaccines are experimental."

Additionally, she argues, the disruption "helps fuel misperceptions" about harmful side effects. The consensus among medical experts is that allergic reactions will occur soon after vaccination, while other immune reactions may theoretically take longer, but are likely to continue to appear "during the first few weeks and months after vaccination." Therefore, waiting for some may indicate that the risks of these issues are higher than they are now. At this point, Tofficki believes regulators have the six months of data they need and should move quickly toward approval with the goal of increasing the vaccination rate in the United States again.