Pfizer Shot Gets FDA Advisers’ Nod as Agency Decision Nears (2)

The first Covid-19 vaccine expected to be deployed in the U.S. won the backing of a panel of government advisers, a step that will likely help clear the way for emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

The committee of independent vaccine experts voted 17 to 4, with one abstention, that the benefits of the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE outweigh the risks for use in people ages 16 and older. The FDA doesn’t have to follow the recommendation, though often it does agree with its advisers.

An authorization could come from the FDA within days. That ...