As the United Kingdom began administering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals, Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, was developed by four individuals who obtained Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine in the firm’s trial, according to the US regulator report on the shot.
Regulators from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said there was no obvious path for the vaccine to cause Bell’s paralysis, but cautioned that the troubling side effect should be watched by physicians and Pfizer should continue to keep track of how many people it strikes.
Bell’s palsy is a disorder that causes the facial muscles to be temporarily weak or paralysed. It may typically occur when it becomes inflamed, swollen or squeezed by a nerve that regulates the muscles.
Meanwhile, Albert Bourla, chief executive of Pfizer, said the company did not cut any corners” when rolling the vaccines out.
The vaccine “been tested in the exact same way as we are testing any vaccine that is circulating out there,” Bourla said, adding, “this vaccine actually was tested, because of the scrutiny, with even higher standards in terms of how we do things.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes as coronavirus-related deaths continue to grow worldwide, with more than 1.5 million fatalities and more than 69 million cases.
The CEO of Pfizer said Always there are people who are sceptical about vaccines, but I have to say they are wrong,”
Documents published on Tuesday by U.S. authorities, however, reported that the Pfizer vaccine was highly protective against COVID-19 and appeared healthy, providing the world’s first thorough look at the evidence behind the shots.
The Food and Drug Administration’s favorable assessment sets the stage for a decision authorizing the initial use of the vaccine within days. Even as across the Atlantic, Britain started vaccinating its oldest people with the shots, which were co-developed with BioNTech, FDA regulators posted their review online.