An illustration shows vials of a COVID-19 vaccine and syringes with the logos of US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, released on Tuesday.Photo: AFP

 
An advisory group of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) met on Thursday and recommended the agency issue emergency use authorization (EUA) to the COVID-19 vaccine of American drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech.

The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, made up of independent scientific and public health experts from around the country, met to discuss the first EUA request for the vaccine candidate, submitted by Pfizer and BioNTech.

If the vaccine is authorized by the FDA, the first shots could be distributed in the country within days, according to media reports. Health care workers and nursing home residents would be among the first in line.