The move means that vaccines for that age group will not be available in the coming weeks.

A year ago today in December 2020, a huge logistics operation began to ship millions of vaccines to hospitals across the country, and it all centered here in Michigan.

The CDC is now recommending that children get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Dealing the White House a stinging setback, a government advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected a plan Friday to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots across the board, and instead endorsed the extra dose only for those who are 65 or older or run a high risk of severe disease.

Some Metro Detroit communities will begin administering COVID vaccine booster shots to immunocompromised residents starting Monday.

Michigan Medicine doctors will answer parents' top questions during a live Q&A about children and teens receiving the newly-approved Pfizer COVID vaccine.

DETROIT – New information suggests the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12. Pfizer said the data from a late-stage trial shows the vaccine is highly effective in adolescents. The company said there were 18 COVID cases in the placebo group and zero cases in the vaccine group and no significant side effects -- an efficacy rate of 100%. Infectious disease experts believe vaccinating children will ultimately be necessary to stop the pandemic. “By the fall, I think there’s a good possibility we’ll be vaccinating teenagers 12 and up,” said Dr. Peter Hotez.

If you look at cases per 100,000 people, the Thumb -- Michigan’s 10th district -- becomes prominent. Less populated areas, like Macomb and St. Clair counties have critically high COVID transmission. RELATED: Tracking COVID-19 weekly growth factor by Michigan countyAdIn St. Clair County, the rate of COVID tests returning positive is nearly 27% -- higher than it ever was during the winter surge. In St. Clair County, more than one in four people are testing positive. The average number of new cases per million in St. Clair County is higher than it has ever been since the pandemic started.

The FDA advisory committee that recommended the Pfizer vaccine largely agreed it was safe and effective. One of those No votes came from Dr. A. Oveta Fuller, a virologist and viral pathogen researcher at the University of Michigan. Ad“I was aware that there were not that many people of color, not very many African Americans and I remember thinking surely this is so fascinating. And so, with some help of others we founded a chapter of the National Technical Association, which is a stem across the organization of African Americans. This brings us back to her yes vote for the emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines and the no vote to Pfizer.

After two weeks of hospitals, local health departments and pharmacies canceling COVID-19 vaccine appointments due to limited supply, Michigan is expected to receive its largest shipment so far. If the FDA approves the emergency use authorization of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine this weekend, the numbers are about to ramp up even further. “If Johnson & Johnson actually does get EUA approval this weekend, the state expects to get an additional 83,000 doses,” said Henry Ford’s Dr Sam Mossallam. READ: Warren neighbors help WWII veteran get COVID vaccineREAD: Fairness of COVID vaccine distribution up for debate in Michigan LegislatureUS advisers endorse single-shot COVID-19 vaccine from J&JU.S. health advisers endorsed a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Friday, putting the nation on the cusp of adding an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic. AdAfter daylong discussions, the FDA panelists voted unanimously that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for adults.

Pfizer said it takes about 110 days to produce a batch of the COVID-19 vaccine. Jacobs’ mother lives on her own and works to stay active. READ: Meijer to vaccinate 25K Michigan seniorsREAD: Feds give Michigan $8.3 million for COVID vaccine distribution supportAd“Her friends that are in assisted living have gotten first dosages. I don’t want her to be another statistic because she dies from COVID because she couldn’t get the vaccine,” Jacobs added. READ: Meijer to launch COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Michigan stores: What to know

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Biden administration announced it plans to use the Defense Production Act to assist in the battle against coronavirus. The Defense Production Act was also used by the Trump administration early in the pandemic to increase the production of ventilators. During a Friday press conference, the White House COVID Response Team revealed details about how the act will be used to aid in three key areas. He said the Defense Production Act will be used to prioritize getting critical supplies for Pfizer, including more filling pumps. The act will also be used to help six suppliers make at-home and point-of-care COVID tests.

DETROIT – As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., several people still have a lot of questions about it. READ: 114 takeaways after Michigan officials discuss COVID variant, recent trends, restaurants reopening“I have health problems, should I be getting the vaccine?”People have asked if health problems such COPD, bronchitis, heart attacks and more would make the vaccine unsafe. Ultimately, health problems are more of a bigger reason to get the vaccine. “What is the protocol for getting the COVID-19 vaccine after a joint replacement?”There’s no special concern after a joint replacement. There is no risk of someone spreading the virus from getting the vaccine.

Some county health departments are canceling COVID-19 vaccine appointments due to a supply shortage. Henry Ford Hospital leaders addressed the vaccine and the magnitude of this project. Henry Ford alone will deliver more than 1 million individual doses of this two-dose vaccine. Which means making 7 million vaccination appointments over the next several months,” said Bob Riney, president of Healthcare Operations and COO with Henry Ford. We’re cancelling the one we’ve got coming up on Tuesday (Jan. 19).”Washtenaw County Health Department said the appointments they had to cancel next week will be rescheduled.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Dr. Payal Patel was among the first frontline workers at Michigan Medicine to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14. “Both times, I had a little bit of arm pain right where I got the vaccine. I thought maybe it might be worse this time but so far I felt pretty good,” she said. READ MORE:Patel said some of her colleagues have felt tired or experienced more arm pain. “People are doing well after they get it, so that we can see more and more people sharing the optimism about the vaccine.

DETROIT – As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the U.S., several people still have a lot of questions about it. Unless it was a medically-concerning side effect, like anaphylaxis, the side effects are only temporary and when compared to the risk of COVID-19, you should still receive the second dose. “Is it safe to get the vaccine if I...?”Viewers are concerned if it would be unsafe to get the vaccine if they have epilepsy, atrial fibrillation, multiple sclerosis or another conditions. Based on the trials that have been done, there is no specific disease or illness that makes the vaccine unsafe or would be a contraindication to receive it. Although both are MRNA vaccines, there are differences in the genetic sequences used and the coating used to get the MRNA into our cells.

Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch on December 20, 2020 in Olive Branch, Mississippi. (Photo by Paul Sancya - Pool/Getty Images)DETROIT – Frontline essential workers and people over 75 will be next to receive COVID-19 vaccines, according to a vote from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee Sunday. RELATED: CDC green-lights Moderna COVID vaccine, distribution beginsCurrently, Phase 1B includes some workers in essential and critical industries, including workers with unique skill sets such as non-hospital or non-public health laboratories and mortuary services. As the largest union for America’s essential workers in grocery, meatpacking, and food processing, UFCW applauds the CDC’s advisory committee for prioritizing these brave men and women for access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Protecting our country’s food workers is essential to keeping our communities safe and stopping future outbreaks in these high-exposure workplaces.

OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI - DECEMBER 20: Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be shipped at the McKesson distribution center on December 20, 2020 in Olive Branch, Mississippi. CDC has accepted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendation for use of the second authorized #COVID19 vaccine. Current recommendations: https://t.co/cYJxH31I3F pic.twitter.com/qOQwyASpSG — CDC (@CDCgov) December 20, 2020The CDC accepted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’(ACIP) recommendation for use of the Moderna vaccine on Sunday, Dec. 20. President, American Medical AssociationThe Moderna vaccine began shipping out Sunday, just days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use. Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer shot require individuals receive two doses several weeks apart.

I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the United States apologized on Saturday for “miscommunication” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.”There’s a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday accused the White House of “slow-walking the process.” Michigan is due 60,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its second allotment, down from an anticipated 84,825.

DETROIT – A second COVID-19 vaccine has won backing from the U.S. expert panel, paving way for final FDA decision on emergency use. The approval comes about a week after Pfizer’s vaccine was endorsed. Moderna benefited by going second and was able to address a lot of the issues up front and have the additional data the experts wanted already prepared. The allergy concern is not going away after there’s been two reactions to Pfizer’s vaccine in Alaska and two in the United Kingdom. This is all happening as the Pfizer Vaccine is being given to health care workers across the country, including Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge.

The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel voted Thursday to recommend the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization. The panel of independent experts has been reviewing the safety, efficacy and implications of recommending the second vaccine. The favorable vote from the panel clears the path for Moderna’s vaccine to become the second approved for use in the United States. Moderna had the advantage of watching the FDA’s review of the Pfizer vaccine and came prepared to answer the anticipated questions. More than 25% of Moderna’s volunteers are health care workers who are now eligible to get Pfizer’s vaccine.

Among the first Michiganders to receive Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine were 10 health care workers at Ascension Providence Hospital on Wednesday morning. Patel was one of the 10 frontline workers who received the COVID vaccine Wednesday morning. Though the hospital received nearly 2,000 doses Wednesday morning, Ascension officials say only 10 employees were vaccinated because they are taking their time with the vaccine rollout to ensure everything goes smoothly. “There’s just enough nuances to this that we want to ensure that we’re being very thoughtful and going through all of our processes,” said Ascension Michigan Vice President of Operations Excellence, Tammy Merkel. Michigan officials believe that enough doses will be available by the spring of 2021 for all eligible individuals to receive the vaccine.

DETROIT – As the first vaccinations are being given to frontline health care workers, many are anxious to know when it will be their turn to receive the vaccine. READ: Answering questions about efficacy of COVID-19 vaccineNot surprisingly, many wanted to get this vaccine Tuesday. How will I know when it’s my turn to get the vaccine? Residency is not an issue, just make sure seniors are eligible for the vaccine in the state you’ll be in when the second dose is due and that it will be available. It was not tested along with any other vaccines and the COVID vaccine itself can trigger a day or two of side effects, so it’s best to delay your shingles vaccine a bit if it would conflict with your turn for the COVID vaccine.

FDA reviewers noted four cases of Bell’s palsy -- a temporary weakening of muscles in the face -- among those that received the vaccine. It is still unknown if this is related to the vaccine or not and -- as of Dec. 16, 2020 -- a prior history of Bell’s palsy is not a contraindication to the vaccine. READ: Answering questions about efficacy of COVID-19 vaccineThe FDA is monitoring closely for more potential cases of Bell’s palsy as more people get the vaccine. Although both vaccines are MRNA vaccines, there are differences in the genetic sequences used and the coating used to get the MRNA into our cells. READ: Answering questions about COVID-19 vaccine efforts in Michigan“Do all hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receive the same care as the president did when he was hospitalized?”With the exception of one medication, yes.

Moderna vaccine expected soonWhitmer said she expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week. “Over the weekend, the first shipments of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine left Portage, Michigan,” Whitmer said. Vaccine factsKhaldun took a deep dive into COVID-19 vaccine facts Tuesday, including how effective the vaccines are, when everyone can expect to receive them and potential side effects. Vaccine scamsNessel outlined four specific types of COVID-19 vaccine scams circulating in the state and explained how they’re targeting residents. “In the three weeks since I sent that letter, nearly 2,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19,” Whitmer said.

LANSING, Mich. – When will Michigan restaurants be allowed to reopen after the most recent shutdown due to COVID-19? Why are restaurants still closed while other types of places are allowed to remain open? Right now, restaurants are limited to carry-out and delivery orders, as indoor dining is shut down through at least Dec. 20. They feel COVID-19 restrictions are inconsistent, with people allowed to go to malls or grocery stores, but not restaurants. “There is a ban on indoor dining, and I think that to the extent that these restaurants are seeing that happen in other realms -- that is unfortunate,” Whitmer said.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s attorney general outlined four specific types of COVID-19 vaccine scams circulating in the state and explained how they’re targeting residents. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15Attorney General Dana Nessel joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during Tuesday’s briefing to warn Michiganders about scammers looking to capitalize on the COVID-19 vaccine excitement. “Fake vaccine treatments, test kits and clinical trials are just some of those examples of what scammers are going to be putting out there,” she said. Michigan expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s top health official took a deep dive into COVID-19 vaccine facts Tuesday, including how effective the vaccines are, when everyone can expect to receive them and potential side effects. Gretchen Whitmer expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective, and is safe. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been tested in trials, including tens of thousands of people. Residents have to return for a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks after the first dose.

LANSING, Mich. – Three of the most important COVID-19 metrics are showing positive signs that Michigan is heading in the right direction, the state’s chief medical executive said. Michigan is currently at 560 cases per million people, a number that has been trending downward for 22 straight days, Khaldun said. Case rates for all eight geographical regions are on the decline, she said. Overall, 18.5% of hospital beds in the state have COVID-19 patients in them, which has also declined, according to Khaldun. The percentage of statewide COVID-19 tests that are coming back positive is down to 12.3%, Khaldun said.

Gretchen Whitmer is asking state lawmakers for a permanent extension of unemployment benefits due to COVID-19. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15FROM DEC. 1: Whitmer wants Michigan Legislature to pass permanent extension of unemployment benefitsThe governor took aim at the Republican-led state legislature during her Tuesday (Dec. 15) COVID-19 briefing, urging them to take action on a number of issues, including bipartisan COVID-19 restrictions, unemployment benefits and a $100 million stimulus plan. “I also need them to remember to pass a permanent extension of unemployment benefits,” Whitmer said. “I appreciate the Senate’s expansion of unemployment benefits to 26 weeks, through March, but we really need to work together to pass a permanent extension to protect the countless Michiganders and their livelihoods.”Whitmer said thousands of Michiganders are in danger of losing benefits at the end of the year. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

Gretchen Whitmer says she is ready to sign a $100 million economic stimulus plan to help families and small businesses struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Yesterday, I sent another letter to the Legislature, urging them to work with me on priorities like $100 million in COVID-19 relief,” Whitmer said. “There are people out there who have spent a lifetime building up their small businesses,” Whitmer said. “We here in Michigan have got to step up and take action,” Whitmer said. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s governor continues to push for bipartisan support of COVID-19 restrictions, saying 2,000 residents have died from the virus since she sent a letter to legislators three weeks ago. READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15Gov. “In the three weeks since I sent that letter, nearly 2,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19,” Whitmer said. We cannot afford to wait any longer.”Tension between Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature has existed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers didn’t approve of Whitmer’s emergency orders issued throughout the pandemic, saying she shouldn’t be able to make such decisions without their approval.

Gretchen Whitmer expects the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to join the Pfizer vaccine in being approved in the next week -- so which of the two should people get? READ: 9 major takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID-19 briefing on Dec. 15The governor spoke about vaccines during her Tuesday briefing. “Over the weekend, the first shipments of the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine left Portage, Michigan,” Whitmer said. “In the next week, we expect the Moderna vaccine to be approved. It doesn’t matter which -- the Pfizer or the Moderna, or maybe others that will come online.

Gretchen Whitmer believes the state’s stricter COVID-19 rules, which were extended into next week, are successfully slowing the spread of the virus. It is working.”Whitmer said the state’s number of COVID-19 cases is decreasing, and that the dip correlates with the day the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued its three-week “pause.”“Simply put, what we’re doing is working,” Whitmer said. High school and college classes were shifted to fully remote formats and most entertainment venues were shuttered for the pause. On Dec. 7, the pause was extended an additional 12 days -- until Dec. 20 -- so officials could gauge the impact of the Thanksgiving holiday. Michigan reported 4,730 new COVID-19 cases and 183 additional deaths (71 from a Vital Records review) on Tuesday, bringing the state totals to 442,715 cases and 10,935 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the state of Michigan is exciting and promising news for millions, but it’s also a call for scammers to try to capitalize on the moment. Scams involving the COVID-19 vaccine have the attention of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses are rolling out to Michigan hospitals and clinics this week, and scammers know that. That’s now how distribution of the vaccine will work, medical officials said. Anyone who has questions about the vaccine or any suspicious contact about the distribution should contact a trusted medical professional.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The first Michigan Medicine front line health care workers at University of Michigan Hospital are now receiving the very first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Workers at U of M Hospital were some of the very first to get the initial vaccine shot late Monday. The first doses from Pfizer came rolling into Michigan Medicine on Monday morning. U of M Health System President Dr. David Spahlinger said he got word over the weekend that the vaccines were ready and being shipped. “It was a package of hope,” Spahlinger said.

PORTAGE, Mich. – The eyes of the nation are on Portage, a city on Michigan’s west side in Kalamazoo County, just west of Battle Creek. The monumental effort to create a COVID-19 vaccine came together Sunday as the first batches were shipped nationwide. It is the biggest vaccination effort in American history. From Portage, the doses of the vaccine will be kept in temperature safe packages and transported with GPS trackers and U.S. RELATED: What it takes to safely transport Pfizer’s COVID vaccine to hospitalsThe vaccine will be shipped to those on the front lines of the health care industry and nursing home patients.

After granting Pfizer’s emergency use authorization request for its coronavirus vaccine, the FDA addressed some of the public’s major concerns regarding the vaccine during a news conference Saturday. We want to know: What concerns or reservations do you have about coronavirus vaccines? Following the Pfizer vaccine’s authorization on Dec. 11, Michigan officials have outlined how the vaccine will be distributed in the state in the coming months. Due to limited quantities of and high demand for a COVID-19 vaccine, states are planning to administer the vaccinations in multiple phases, prioritizing individuals who are at greater risk. Read more: Michigan officials: COVID vaccine to be distributed in 4 phases, prioritize frontline workersRelated news

RELATED: FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID vaccine; Michigan will distribute in 4 phasesOnce those shipments are packed and ready to leave Pfizer, it’s a painstaking process to make sure they arrive safely to hospitals. Boxes are loaded with the vaccine, dry ice and GPS trackers because time and temperature are critical. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. To maintain a sustainable temperature during transport, crews are using tons of dry ice -- carbon dioxide that has been cooled to at least 110 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, becoming solid. When dry ice melts, it emits carbon dioxide, so the FAA is requiring crews to wear carbon dioxide detectors inside the pressurized and sealed airplanes transporting the virus.

One of those No votes came from Dr. A Oveta Fuller, a virologist and viral pathogen researcher at the University of Michigan. “Because we are in a COVID pandemic and because so many lives are affected and because the public needs to understand so they know what to do,” Dr. Fuller said. Dr. Fuller said more data would help her be certain that she has done her due diligence. I engage the community about them,” Dr. Fuller said. Dr. Fuller, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at University of Michigan Medical School will also be a member of the FDA advisory panel for the Moderna vaccine, Thursday, December 17th.

PORTAGE, Mich. – It’s a huge logistics operation to ship millions of vaccines to hospitals across the country -- and it’s all centered here in Michigan. The eyes of the nation are on Portage, a city on Michigan’s west side in Kalamazoo County, just west of Battle Creek. Workers at the Pfizer plant in Portage worked hard to prepare to ship the vaccines Sunday morning. RELATED: FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID vaccine; Michigan will distribute in 4 phases“I have 100% confidence that we will get the vaccine to the American people,” said Gen. Gustave Perna. Read: Michigan officials: COVID vaccine to be distributed in 4 phases, prioritize frontline workers“We want to make sure the vaccine arrives safely and that it can be safely administered when arrival occurs.

DETROIT – The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee spoke at length about the ethics of what should happen to those that took the placebo in Pfizer’s vaccine trial. RELATED: Michigan plans for COVID-19 vaccine: What to expect nextShould they now be permitted to get the actual vaccine? Local 4 assignment editor Matt Triplett said he’s ecstatic that Pfizer’s vaccine will soon be available for the first groups of high-priority Americans. Essentially, everyone in the trial is vaccinated again with those who got the placebo the first time getting the vaccine and vice-versa. It doesn’t just impact Pfizer’s trial.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – With the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel recommending the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs an emergency use authorization, Michigan is developing a distribution plan once the vaccine is authorized. Related: Michigan officials: COVID vaccine to be distributed in 4 phases, prioritize frontline workersMacomb County health officials announced Friday their plan to move its COVID-19 testing site to the former site of Baker College on Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township for the winter. County executive Mark Hackel said Friday the county will receive about 1,000 vaccines in the first round of distribution. County officials said the site won’t be a public site until they can get through those workers. The county said they are in need of workers, specifically those qualified to do COVID testing, contact tracing and getting the vaccine to Macomb County residents.

PORTAGE, Mich. – There’s a small town in Michigan working day and night to make a vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19). In Europe, trucks were rolling out of a Pfizer plant in Belgium headed to the U.K. where the first doses of the vaccine were given. There’s a Pfizer plant similar to that one in the town of Portage, Michigan. Portage Mayor Patricia M. Randall said Pfizer is the city’s largest employer. Arun Tandon owns Advanced Health Pharmacy.

With the announcement of the Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory panel recommending the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine needs granted an emergency use authorization, Michigan is developing a distribution plan once the vaccine is authorized. Initially, five Michigan hospitals would be the first to get the vaccine, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. The hospitals are Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Ascension Macomb-Oakland in Warren, University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Spectrum Health Butterworth in Grand Rapids and MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland. “Once they are approved, we expect to receive a limited allocation of these vaccines and expect to receive shipments every week,” said Dr. Joneigh Khladun, Michigan chief medical executive. There are about 300 sites across Michigan that have signed up to receive the vaccine, which over the next two weeks, should be about 85,000 doses from Pfizer and 173,000 from Moderna.

DETROIT – What happens if the COVID vaccine is given the go-ahead? Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday that the state is working on a distribution plan that will take effect the minute the vaccines arrive. Roughly 10 million people live in Michigan and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said patience is a necessity. “Michigan will receive about 84,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine if it becomes available next week in that first application,” Khaldun said. “The Modena vaccine is a different vaccine that is just behind the Pfizer vaccine in the approval process.”Michigan is expecting just under 200,000 doses.

DETROIT – The Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccine Advisory Committee will hold a day-long open meeting to discuss whether or not to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, the FDA will present its review of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine data to its independent panel of outside experts. Other expected points of discussion include the allergic reaction seen in two U.K. health care workers, the safety of mRNA vaccines, distribution plans and how the vaccine’s safety will continue to be monitored after an authorization. Do not expect to see any discussion of authorization of the vaccine for children under 16 or pregnant women. If the advisory committee votes yes, the FDA could give the green light to the Pfizer vaccine within a day or two.

DETROIT – A warning from the U.K. is causing some concern as the nation continues its rollout of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Two health care workers who received the shot on Tuesday had an allergic reaction. Officials said both workers did have a past history of allergic reactions and had carried adrenaline auto injectors. READ: EXPLAINER: Allergic reactions to vaccines rare, short-livedU.K. regulators said people who have previously suffered significant allergic reactions should not get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The precautionary advice states that anyone with a “significant history of allergic reaction to a vaccine, medicine, or food” should not receive the vaccine.

DETROIT – The data from vaccine-maker Pfizer that the Food and Drug Administration will be relying on to make a decision about an Emergency Use Authorization this Thursday was made public on Tuesday. The 92-page document and the FDA’s 53-page briefing document are full of details on who received the vaccine and how effective it was. The summary lays out the demographics for the nearly 38,000 study participants, half of which received the vaccine and half of which receive a placebo. Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are administered 21 days apart. The primary question was how effectively can the vaccine prevent COVID-19 infection 7 days after the second dose of the vaccine?

Scientists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are working to review two COVID-19 vaccines submitted by drug companies Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer submitted its application on Nov. 20 for an emergency use authorization to the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). “The safety profile of a vaccine that’s going to be deployed in millions of people has to be incredibly clean,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who directs CBER. “We, as an agency, are one of the last agencies in the world that we still actually get the primary data. We don’t get summary data.”CBER receives raw data on all participants in a vaccine trial, in addition to volumes of information on every aspect of the vaccine.

PORTAGE, Mich. – There’s a small town in Michigan working day and night to make a vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19). In Europe, trucks were rolling out of a Pfizer plant in Belgium headed to the U.K. where the first doses of the vaccine were given. There’s a Pfizer plant similar to that one in the town of Portage, Michigan. Whan Koh has friends working on the vaccine, something that would normally take years. Arun Tandon owns Advanced Health Pharmacy.

On Monday, Moderna joined Pfizer in submitting its vaccine for an emergency use authorization. But if a vaccine is authorized, will people be willing to get it? “We asked a national sample of older adults, aged 50-60, (about the) future COVID-19 vaccine and what their thoughts were,” U of M Dr. Preeti Malani said. Moderna COVID-19 vaccine moves step closer to public useModerna’s COVID-19 vaccine hit another major milestone, as the company is submitting its application for an emergency use authorization, starting the formal review process and moving a step closer to public use. “This is clearly the most important point prior to making the vaccine broadly available,” Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge said.

Once a COVID-19 vaccine is approved, Henry Ford says it is prepared to receive and store the vaccine -- which requires storage at extremely low temperatures. So far, Henry Ford has begun installing 12 freezers: six that can appropriately store the Pfizer vaccine, and six that can appropriately store the Moderna vaccine. Henry Ford hospitals in Wyandotte, Macomb, West Bloomfield and Jackson will each have one of each type of freezer. Pfizer formally requested an emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 20. Details about where the COVID-19 vaccine will first be shipped to in Michigan are still being finalized.

One day after the announcement that Pfizer has created a vaccine that’s 90% effective against COVID-19, a panel has broken people into four phases, based on priority, to determine when everyone would receive the vaccine. Although the Pfizer vaccine isn’t officially authorized for distribution, preparations are already underway across America to get it into people’s arms. That’s because this is a new type of vaccine that’s much more complicated and requires extra planning. Keep in mind that the Pfizer vaccine is only one of potentially several that will hopefully become available in the future. For example, Pfizer’s are spaced 21 days apart, while Moderna’s are spaced 28 days apart.

Four coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines have reached the final stage of testing, and one of the frontrunners is making progress toward the goal of proving to be safe and effective. Last week, Pfizer received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to enroll volunteers as young as 12 years old. Some trial participants receive the actual vaccine, while the rest receive a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the participants know which group has received the vaccine or the placebo. Ultimately, they’ll compare the groups to see if fewer of the participants who received the actual vaccine got infected.

DETROIT – Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Americans that there’s been a rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases among young adults in certain states as we head into Labor Day weekend. The CEO of Pfizer has addressed how soon a vaccine could become available. Pfizer officials said they might know if the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective as early as the end of next month -- with a promise that no corners will be cut. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is telling state officials to prepare to distribute a vaccine as soon as the end of next month. The White House Coronavirus Task Force is recommending Missouri to close bars and issue a mask mandate.

DETROIT – Pfizer has started a new clinical trial on a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, and it’ll be manufactured in Michigan. Pfizer and BioNTech SE announced Tuesday that the first participants have been dosed in the U.S. in the phase 1/2 clinical trial for the “BNT162 vaccine” program to prevent COVID-19. The company’s clinical trial supply will be made at sites in Andover, Massachusetts and Chesterfield, Missouri, and the initial manufacturing will be conducted in Kalamazoo, Michigan -- the largest manufacturing site in the Pfizer network. In fact, Michigan has a strong history of vaccine development with the polio and anthrax vaccines. Find more info on the vaccine trial here.