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Source: MORRY GASH / Getty

It looks like outside may be opening up sooner than expected after the FDA clears a new COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the New York Times, the Food and Drug Administration has officially approved the vaccine for the coronavirus after hearing the research materials and answering questions from Pfizer’s vaccine experts.

The FDA did report that there are some problems with the vaccine, some have had allergic reactions to it when being vaccinated in the U.K. Some people develop a fever for a few days as well as discomfort around the injection site. However, the FDA ruled that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the problems. The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel, composed of independent scientific experts, infectious disease doctors, and statisticians, voted 17 to 4, with one member abstaining, in favor of emergency authorization for people 16 and older.

“With the high efficacy and good safety profile shown for our vaccine, and the pandemic essentially out of control, vaccine introduction is an urgent need,” Kathrin Jansen, a senior vice president and the head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer, reportedly said at the meeting.

Donald Trump purchased just 100 million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and 100 million from Moderna, which hasn’t been approved yet from the FDA. While he had an option to invest in more doses for all 350 million Americans, Trump declined; despite his administration not providing a reason why.

The initial shipment of 6.4 million doses will leave warehouses within 24 hours of being cleared by the F.D.A., according to federal officials. About half of those doses will be sent across the country, and the other half will be reserved for the initial recipients to receive their second dose about three weeks later.