The Food and Drug Administration cleared the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, for emergency use on Friday, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a final clearance on Saturday.JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images
As Pfizer plans to begin shipping doses of the first COVID-19 vaccine approved by American regulators for emergency use Sunday, a host of new restrictions on business activities go into effect in Massachusetts, where the death toll has passed 11,000.
Massachusetts expects to receive 59,475 doses in its first shipment, which could land in the state Monday or Tuesday, according to Dr. Paul Biddinger, who led the stateâs vaccine advisory group.