In a press release, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech indicated plans to immediately petition the FDA for fast-tracked approval of its BNT162b2 jab which, if granted, would "potentially enable use of the vaccine in high-risk populations in the U.S. by the middle to end of December 2020."

With an alleged 95 percent effectiveness rate and "no serious safety concerns," according to Pfizer, BNT162b2 could be rolled out on a mass scale in a matter of weeks. This would mean that tens of thousands of Americans would get vaccinated just in time for Christmas.

"Filing in the U.S. represents a critical milestone in our journey to deliver a Covid-19 vaccine to the world and we now have a more complete picture of both the efficacy and safety profile of our vaccine," announced Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement.

Pfizer also seeking emergency approval in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Japan, and much of Europe

To maximize their market share in a race against Moderna, which is also seeking emergency approval for its "safe and effective" Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine, Pfizer and BioNTech are likewise pushing to get their jab into foreign countries.