The Food and Drug Administration gave the Pfizer vaccine its full approval today. Now, if you’re like me, your dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was Pfizer and you might be wondering what the deal. The FDA is a fairly strong government agency, as those things go, and very little slips through their clutches and can still call itself medicine.
Well, here’s how that worked. As soon as the drug company Pfizer announced it had come up with something that did the deed, the FDA went to work on it. The department has a two-tier system, a Standard Review and a Priority Review. In essence, the latter is a long, drawn-out process that requires a lot of paperwork, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, and all that. The Priority Review just makes sure it works and won’t make patients grown an extra arm or something.
Anyhow, back in July Pfizer said they had the goods and the FDA pulled in workers and eggheads from different parts of the department, working all night until they were comfortable the drug had no serious, widespread side effects. And despite what you might have read on your uncle’s Facebook page, it doesn’t. So, the FDA granted something called an Emergency Use Approval, which is basically what it sounds like it is.
The EUA essentially said that the vaccine has met the FDA’s standards and the whole process of Standard Review was about 40% finished. Granted, a lot of folks were hesitant to get the vaccine before it reached full approval. Now they have no excuse, though I’m sure some of the dedicated will come up with something. The day hadn’t passed before the yo-yos at Fox were questioning if the vaccine hadn’t been approved “too quickly.” There is just no pleasing some people.
The Moderna vaccine has applied for a full Standard Review and that’s working its way through. Johnson & Johnson has not, but both meet the Priority Review muster and are covered under the EUA. Some people, a vanishingly small amount comparatively speaking, have had some adverse effects from the vaccine but that has more to do with the variances of the human body. I’m allergic to shellfish, some people are allergic to the flu vaccine, that sort of thing. And one of the reasons these vaccines got through the process so quickly is the COVID’s resemblance to the flu, another coronavirus, and work was built on the work already done for your yearly flu shot.
Now, what does all this mean to you, the brain genius who’s been hesitant to get the vaccine because of FDA approval? Well, basically, not much has changed except you don’t have an excuse anymore. A lot of this Standard Review business and why it general takes so long – up to years, in some cases – is basically to make sure that neither the drug manufacture nor the U.S. government can get sued if it causes a bunch of people to grow a third eye or what have you. You’d be amazed how much of your life revolves around big corporations making sure you can’t sue the shit out of them.
This has led to another round of different folks in the halls of power calling for vaccination mandates for just about anything and everything, and just as many stirring shit up for a possible 2024 run because they’re stoking fears of “tyranny.” That just means middle-class, bourgeoisie white folks have to follow the same rules which is, of course, the worst form of governmental repression.
Anyhow. That’s one excuse for not getting the vaccine that doesn’t fly anymore. We had 7,400 new cases in Mississippi this weekend and Florida had 725 deaths. Hospitals from sea to shining sea are either overrun or almost there. Get the damn vaccine, you boobs.
Dear Y'all 