Experts are making a critical decision on Pfizer's vaccine

Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer

Hello,

Good morning! An expert FDA panel is meeting today to discuss Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine. Our reporters Andrew Dunn and Hilary Brueck are following along with every update in a live blog.

Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for use, the government announced on Wednesday.
"Canadians can feel confident that the review process was rigorous and that we have strong monitoring systems in place," Health Canada, the country's department of health, said in a statement.
The vaccine was approved for use in the UK on Dec. 2, and the first doses were administered on Tuesday.
In the US, Pfizer has submitted findings from its late-stage trial to the FDA for review, but authorization is still pending.

Insider obtained a copy of a document laying out the coronavirus stimulus deal that a bipartisan group of lawmakers announced last week.
The stimulus may be the only chance Congress has at passing relief before the end of the year.
The document shows that negotiations on liability protections for corporations are ongoing.
The package doesn't contain direct payments in the form of checks, something Democrats and the White House are pushing for.

Getting a coronavirus vaccine isn't a free pass to pursue pre-COVID activities, like not wearing a mask and huddling close to strangers.
Because we don't yet know whether the vaccine protects recipients from spreading the virus to others, continuing to follow public health protocols against disease transmission is key.
The vaccine also won't protect recipients right away, and it won't protect a very small percent at all.
Vaccinated people can, however, begin to make plans for 2021 and look forward to resuming aspects of the old normal as more and more people get vaccinated.

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- Lydia