The White House has warned that the Pfizer Covid-19 tablet will not be available for several months

The White House has warned that it will take more than six months to implement its original Pfizer antiviral Covid-19 pill, as officials have speculated that the drug could cause the epidemic.

U.S. Medical Director Wednesday gave emergency permission pills, called Paxlovid, for use for people 12 years and older who have mild or less Covid-19 who are at risk for dangerous symptoms.

But senior health advisers to President Joe Biden hurriedly warned that it would take months for the company to produce and distribute all the 10m courses it had previously ordered.

Jeff Zients, co-founder of the Biden team at Covid-19, said: “According to Pfizer, the complex chemistry that makes the tablets mean production lasts six to eight months.”

He added: “We will have 265,000 Pfizer courses available in January. . . and all 10m courses offered at the end of the summer. ”

Pfizer he said its pills reduce the risk of hospitalization or mortality in Covid-19 patients by 89 percent. It should be important in the coming months because early laboratory tests show that it continues to work against the fast-growing Omicron genus, unlike other monoclonal antibodies that already exist.

Biden called the Food and Drug Administration’s idea Wednesday to accept the pills as “an important part of our epidemic”.

But he also acknowledged the complexity of the product, adding: “As Pfizer works to make the product as efficient as possible, we will work closely with it and provide whatever is needed, including the application of the Defense Production Act if necessary.”

Both Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump have used the Korean DPA war period to force companies to prioritize the production of other products in the fight against Covid-19.

The government has also ordered 3m of Merck antiviral tablets, which continue to be approved by the FDA.

France Wednesday banned his system of the drug after data showed that it led to a 30 percent reduction in the risk of hospitalization and death, much lower than previously expected.

U.S. officials say Wednesday the FDA will continue to approve Merck’s approval.