U.K. Grants Emergency Approval For Pfizer Vaccine

Plus: Interpol: Organized crime targeting Covid-19 vaccines

As most of America was asleep last night, the U.K. made a surprising announcement: the country granted emergency approval to Pfizer and BioNTech’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, becoming the first Western country to authorize use of a vaccine. How did they do it so quickly? By reviewing data on a rolling basis, and having fewer logistical hurdles than the U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration. 

On this side of the pond, some government officials still don’t agree on whether or not Covid-19 is cause for alarm. In a rare move, the White House coronavirus task force told public health officials across the nation that they may need to bypass state leadership in order to sound the alarm that case counts are rising. And in a sobering prediction today, CDC Director Robert Redfield said that Covid-19 could claim 450,000 American lives by the end of February.

Business

Democratic leaders said today that they would support the new $908 billion bipartisan stimulus plan, though they had originally pushed for a much bigger bill of over $2 trillion. 

North Korean hackers have attacked nine Covid-19 vaccine researchers and developers, including Johnson & Johnson, Novavax and AstraZeneca. 

New Paycheck Protection Program loan data shows that most of the $525 billion given out went to larger businesses, not the smaller businesses it was supposed to be intended for. 

The President of the Philadelphia Fed said today that many of the 22 million jobs lost during this pandemic may never return.

Science & Health

A new guidance from the CDC relaxed the recommended quarantine period for anyone exposed to Covid-19, saying that in some cases people may only have to quarantine for 7 to 10 days. 

The CDC is also advising that Americans stay home for the holidays, or get tested for Covid-19 multiple times if travel is necessary. 

Forbes healthcare contributor Dr. William Haseltine on why most countries around the world won’t benefit from Moderna and Pfizer’s new Covid-19 vaccines. 

On The Upside

Changing The Future: If the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines do find success, it could change the future of medicine not just for vaccines but also for cancer, blood disorders and gene therapy. Here’s why.