Concord, NH – Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, released the following statement on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccine Advisory Panel’s recommendation for the emergency use authorization of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine.

“Thanks to the incredible work of dedicated doctors and scientists, we now have a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19,” said Kuster. “Pfizer’s vaccine has proven to be 95% effective, which is truly remarkable. We expect to have at least one additional vaccine approved by the end of the year, which has also shown to be more than 90% effective, and other vaccine candidates have had promising results as they continue to go through trials. The first vaccine doses will begin to be distributed to health care workers and long-term care facility residents here in New Hampshire very soon.”

“This positive news comes at the end of a difficult year,” Kuster continued. “The health and economic crisis caused by the pandemic has resulted in tragic loss of life and tremendous financial hardship for countless businesses and families. Cases of COVID-19 are surging here in New Hampshire and across the country – 570 Granite Staters have died, and we have lost over 291,000 Americans to this virus. This safe and effective vaccine is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it will be some time before it is widely available to everyone. We must ensure that it is safely and equitably distributed. Now is the time for patience as we continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including wearing our masks, practicing physical distancing, and frequent hand washing.”

Rep. Kuster’s legislation to ensure that the United States is prepared to mass-produce and equitably distribute a vaccine once one is available passed the House earlier this year as part of the HEROES Act. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Kuster receives regular updates on vaccine development, production, and distribution from the Administration and pharmaceutical companies.

Next Wednesday, December 16 at 6:00 PM, Rep. Kuster will hold a telephone town hall with NH state health officials to discuss COVID-19 and the plans for vaccine distribution in the state.

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