Volunteers in the Pfizer / BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trials who received a placebo will be able to receive the first dose of the vaccine until March 1, according to reports on Saturday.
The companies said the study’s Vaccine Transition Option means that all participants can find out if they have received the placebo. Participants who discover they received the placebo “have the option of receiving the experimental vaccine while they remain in the study,” according to a statement to the study participants.
Food and Drug Administration officials and outside consultants said, however, that Pfizer’s “unbundling” plan could make it more difficult to continue collecting safety and efficacy data necessary for the FDA’s full approval of the vaccine.
Study participants who received the placebo will have two doses of the experimental vaccine reserved for them in the study, the companies said.
“The study doctor will follow the latest guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their local health officials to offer the Vaccine Transition Option to participants on a prioritized basis,” the companies said, Reuters reported.