>>> AMIDST DARK NEWS ABOUT THE
RESURGENCE OF CORONAVIRUS, THERE
WAS A BEAM OF LIGHT.
A PAIR OF VACCINES WENT TO THE
FDA FOR EMERGENCY APPROVAL AFTER
A COLLECTIVE EFFORT BY DOCTORS,
SCIENTISTS, GOVERNMENT AND
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
A CDC PANEL RECOMMENDED HEALTH
CARE WORKERS AND RESIDENTS AND
STAFF AT LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES SHOULD BE THE FIRST
TO GET THE VACCINE.
THIS AS THE UK BECAME THE FIRST
WESTERN COUNTRY TO APPROVE A
VACCINE, WITH THE COUNTRY READY
TO ROLL IT OUT IN DAYS.
NBC'S MOLLY HUNTER HAS OUR
SUNDAY FOCUS THIS MORNING FROM
LONDON.
>> Reporter: IT'S THE NEWS WE
HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR, CREATING
A VACCINE IS JUST THE FIRST
STEP.
REACHING THE WORLD IS THE NEXT.
>> THIS IS A WAR WE'RE ALL IN
TOGETHER.
>> Reporter: THIS WEEK, THE UK
BECAME THE FIRST COUNTRY TO
APPROVE EMERGENCY USE OF THE
PFIZER VACCINE.
>> WE HAVE BEEN WAITING AND
HOPING FOR THE DAY WHEN THE
SEARCHLIGHTS OF SCIENCE WOULD
PICK OUT OUR INVISIBLE ENEMY RR
A CRISIS REQUIRING A MASSIVE
INTERNATIONAL EFFORT.
THE VACCINE CREATED IN GERMANY,
TESTED IN GERMANY, TURKEY, SOUTH
AFRICA, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA AND
THE U.S.
THE FIRST BATCH LANDED HERE IN
THE UK AND THE U.S. NOT FAR
BEHIND.
>> WE WILL SPEND THE DAY
THURSDAY REVIEWING THE DATA FROM
PFIZER.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, A VOTE
WILL BE TAKEN.
BY THE END OF THE DAY NEXT
THURSDAY THERE COULD BE A
DECISION.
>> Reporter: THE HEAD START ON
THIS PART OF THE POND.
THE FDA WAITS FOR ALL THE RAW
DATA FROM THE LAB AT THE END.
>> IT MIGHT CHANGE THE WAY WE
REGULATE AND LICENSE VACCINES IN
THE FUTURE TO SPEED UP THEIR
ARRIVAL IN THE POPULATION.
THIS COULD BE A GREAT THING.
>> Reporter: EVEN IF THE FIVE
HEALTHIEST NATIONS AND EU START
VACCINATING THIS MONTH, GETTING
AROUND TO THE REST OF US BY NEXT
SUMMER, THERE'S STILL SOME
COUNTRIES THAT MAY NOT SEE ANY
VILES OF THE VACCINE UNTIL 2023
OR 2024.
>> WE CAN'T JUST END THE
PANDEMIC IN EUROPE AND THE
UNITED STATES.
WE NEED TO END IT WORLDWIDE.
WE HAVE PRECEDENT FOR THIS.
WE ERADICATED SMALLPOX.
>> Reporter: MOST OF THE 2021
VACCINE CAPACITY OF THE LEADING
CANDIDATES SPOKEN FOR.
SO MANY LOW TO MIDDLE INCOME
COUNTRIES WILL RELY ON A JOINT
FUND LED BY THE VACCINE ALLIANCE
AND THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION.
CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE IS SUPPLY.
THEN THE BIGGEST LOGISTICAL
OPERATION IN THE WORLD.
WHILE THE UK IS EQUIPPING
HOSPITALS AND VACCINATION
CENTERS WITH COLD STORAGE, THE
PFIZER VACCINE NEEDS TO BE KEPT
AT MINUS 70 DEGREES, GETTING THE
VACCINE TO RURAL VILLAGES AND
TOWNS IN THE U.S. AND ACROSS THE
DEVELOPING WORLD IS VITAL FOR
ALL OF US.
ONCE IT GETS TO WHERE IT'S
GOING, WELL, PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE
IT.
>> THE IMPORTANT THING FOR MOST
PEOPLE IS TO KNOW THAT THE
VACCINE IS EFFECTIVE AND THAT
THE RISK IS MINIMAL.
>> Reporter: THIS WEEK, A BIG
STEP FORWARD.
BUT SCIENTISTS HAVE BIG
QUESTIONS, TOO.
NOT ABOUT THE SAFETY BUT ABOUT
HOW LONG IMMUNITY LASTS.
ONCE VACCINATED ARE YOU STILL
CONTAGIOUS?
>> ANY VACCINE THAT CAN PREVENT
TRANSMISSION IS MORE VALUABLE.
>> Reporter: IT MIGHT STOP ME
FROM GETTING HOSPITALIZED OR PUT
IN THE ICU.
WHETHER ASYMPTOMATICALLY, I CAN
STILL PASS IT ON, WE DON'T KNOW?
>> 90% TO 95% EFFICACY IS A
DREAM COME TRUE.
IT WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
>> MOLLY JOINS ME LIVE FROM
LONDON.
GOOD MORNING.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THIS IS A BIG WEEK.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS THERE IN
THE UK WHERE YOU ARE?
HOW SOON MIGHT BE SEE THE
VACCINE HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES?
>> Reporter: WILLIE, GOOD
MORNING.
A HUGE RELIEF.
I'M IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE
HOSPITALS IN LONDON, ONE OF 50
IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE
UK EXPECTED TO ROLL OUT THE
VACCINE, GIVING THE VACCINE TO
PEOPLE STARTING ON TUESDAY
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN THE U.S., THE FDA INDEPENDENT
PANEL OF EXPERTS IS EXPECTED TO
MEET AND VOTE ON THURSDAY.
IF THEY VOTE TO APPROVE THE
PFIZER VACCINE IT GOES TO THE
FDA AND THEN TECHNICALLY, IF
THEY APPROVE QUICKLY, THEN
VACCINES COULD ACTUALLY START ON
FRIDAY.
WE DO KNOW NEW YORK STATE, FOR
EXAMPLE, IS EXPECTING ITS FIRST
DELIVERY OF THE PFIZER VACCINE
ON DECEMBER 15th.
ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE UK.
>> JUST AN ASTOUNDING