The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorization to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday night, paving the way for the millions of vulnerable individuals to get inoculated within days.

Pfizer's vaccine was the first to get approval from the FDA, noted a report from Fox Business.

The company's officials said their vaccine candidate did not show serious side effects and was 95 percent effective against the coronavirus during its late-stage trials.

FDA's approval of the Pfizer vaccine is a historic turning point for the pandemic, which has taken thousands of lives in the United States.

Pfizer developed and managed to get approval for their vaccine faster than any other previously approved vaccine in the country, said USA Today.

FDA Clears Way for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Millions of Doses To Be Shipped Right Away
Pfizer Makes $1.95 Billion Deal With U.S. For Future COVID-19 Vaccine NEW YORK, NY - JULY 22: Pfizer Inc. signage is seen on July 22, 2020 in New York City. Pfizer and German biotechnology firm BioNTech have agreed to supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine under a $1.95 billion deal. Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser for Operation Warp Speed, touted the vaccine effort and said: "...science, industry and government working together were able to discover develop and manufacture in a record time."

He also called Pfizer's shot the "first of a series of potent vaccines" that will help amid the pandemic.

The decision came hours after the FDA's outside medical panel voted 17-4 to endorse the vaccine for mass distribution despite some concerns of allergic reactions and effects of the vaccine to minors aged 16 and 17 years old.

Vaccine Shipments to Start Within Hours

Shipments of the Pfizer vaccine could start within hours of the FDA decision, and the first group of Americans to get the shot is expected shortly after.

It is expected to be given to people by Monday, if not earlier. As previously reported, frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents will be the first ones to receive the vaccine.

They make up about 2.9 million people of the overall U.S. population.

More doses are expected from Pfizer and other vaccine frontrunners, ensuring 300 million doses of their vaccines by mid-2021.

Pfizer will be supplying 100 million of these doses, with 25 million to be distributed by the end of the month. It entered a deal with the U.S. government that guarantees free vaccine shots for the public, reported the New York Times.

With the number of vaccines, nearly half of the U.S. population could be inoculated.

Government Pressures FDA to Approve Covid Vaccine

The FDA has been under fire to quickly approve a vaccine for emergency use.

According to The Washington Post, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told FDA chief Stephen Hahn that he should approve the vaccine by Friday or quit his job.

Although Meadows said this was untrue, BBC reported. It was also denied by Hahn, who said the report was "an untrue representation of the phone call" he had with Meadows.

Hahn clarified that the FDA was just "encouraged to continue working expeditiously."

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has put pressure on the agency to act on the panel's recommendation. In a tweet, he told the FDA to "stop playing games and start saving lives."

He also called the agency "a big, old, slow turtle." Trump said that through his "pushing," the country had a swift development of vaccines and encouraged Hahn to get the vaccines out.