Top Virologist and FDA Advisory Panel Member Who Approved COVID-19 Jab EUA Dies Suddenly of Unknown Illness

A top virologist and FDA Advisory Panel member who supported granting the experimental COVID-19 shot emergency use authorization has died suddenly.

Dr. Almyra “A” Oveta Fuller, 67, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology and member of the FDA vaccine and biological products advisory committee, died suddenly on Friday morning.

According to her obituary, Fuller died on November 18, 2022, after a brief non-COVID-related illness.

From The Tennessee Tribune:

Dr. Fuller most recently served on the Vaccine and Biological Products Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration whose most recent work was the emergency release of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Fuller was an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the Michigan Annual Conference and served as an adjunct faculty member at Payne Theological Seminary. She also served for several years as a columnist for The Christian Recorder writing a column “Getting to Zero” advocating for HIV/AIDS awareness and programs throughout the AME Church.

Fuller died on November 18, 2022, after a brief non-COVID-related illness.

She played a crucial role in securing the emergency use authorizations for the experimental COVID-19 shots.

“Obviously, we’re in a pandemic of coronavirus, and we need to use every tool available that is safe and effective,” Fuller told The Michigan Daily when asked why she voted to recommend the Pfizer COVID-19 shot for pediatric use.

Via The Michigan Daily:

A. Oveta Fuller: Obviously, we’re in a pandemic of coronavirus, and we need to use every tool available that is safe and effective. Based on the data that was presented for the clinical trials with 5- to 11-year-olds, as well as the rollout effects of the Pfizer vaccine over the last 10 months in millions of people, the benefits seem to far outweigh the risk. So I voted yes, to make that available as something that parents who choose to have their children vaccinated can do. My opinion was not so much to make it mandatory but to make it accessible.

TMD: What does the FDA advisory panel on COVID-19 vaccinations take into consideration when deciding whether or not to authorize a new vaccine for use in a given population?

A. O. Fuller: We consider what the FDA presents to us after going through the data and doing their own analysis. We consider the original information from the company, in this case, it was Pfizer, looking at their clinical trials. We consider the overall status of the pandemic, and what’s the risk to the people that we are hoping to protect? Without the product, is there something else that will give the same results with less risk? And what are the benefits of the particular product versus the known risk or the potential risk?

We realized children 5 to 11 have been under incredible conditions where they can’t go to school, or they do go to school now, but that runs the risk of shutdowns, with the added stress of wearing masks all the time and still wondering if you’re safe. Infected children can bring home a virus that may not make them sick, but can make someone who is less immuno-competent sick. So those are stresses I know many parents have been going through, and we’re waiting for something that would help them.

We saw the lower dose of the vaccine in children works to be protective, as well as not cause greater side effects. That’s what we’re looking for — something that is reasonably safe as we can study it, and something that is effective at blocking hospitalizations in this age group. We know from the data presented for national demographics that COVID is one of the top 10 causes of death for children between 5 and 11. We were initially made to think that it was a disease that was most detrimental for older people, but that’s not necessarily true.

Dr. Fuller supported adding the COVID-19 shot to the CDC’s list of mandatory immunizations for school entry.

“From pandemic to endemic SARS CoV-2 will require wise decisions by leaders and each person. Required vaccines have stopped or reduced many illnesses – polio, measles, mumps, pertussis, chickenpox, smallpox, influenza… We must add COVID-19 to the list,” Fuller tweeted.

From pandemic to endemic SARS CoV-2 will require wise decisions by leaders and each person. Required vaccines have stopped or reduced many illnesses – polio, measles, mumps, pertussis, chickenpox, smallpox, influenza… We must add COVID-19 to the list.https://t.co/ivwTNB6RQO

— fullerao@umich.edu (@ProfAOFuller) July 20, 2021

She also advocated the COVID-19 shot for pregnant women.

“As pregnancy naturally brings a temporary type of immunosuppressive, vaccination against COVID and booster are love and wisdom in action for mothers, a mother to be and the people around them,” Fuller tweeted.

As pregnancy naturally brings a temporary type of immunosuppressive, vaccination against COVID and booster are love and wisdom in action for mothers, a mother to be and the people around them. https://t.co/l5HLyWc00Z

— fullerao@umich.edu (@ProfAOFuller) November 14, 2021

She also praised the vote to recommend the COVID-19 booster.

“Pleased on Friday w VRBPAC colleagues persevering to recommend another tool in toolkit towards managing COVID. Grateful—a decidedly No request turned to unanimous Yes in EUA access to 3rd dose as boost. Progress—gotta keep moving forward people! Having a victory dance moment,” Fuller tweeted.

Pleased on Friday w VRBPAC colleagues persevering to recommend another tool in toolkit towards managing COVID. Grateful—a decidedly No request turned to unanimous Yes in EUA access to 3rd dose as boost. Progress—gotta keep moving forward people! Having a victory dance moment

— fullerao@umich.edu (@ProfAOFuller) September 18, 2021

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