FDA grants full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine
Federal regulators on Monday gave full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine — in a step that could lead more businesses and institutions to enact vaccine requirements.
The two-dose jab developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug A🎃dministration.
“The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said Monday in𒈔 announcing f𝔍ull approval, which comes as the US battles the highly contagious Delta variant.
More than 200 million Pfizer doses have already been administered in the US since December under emergency use au🔯thorization.
S꧙till, some experts have criticized the FDA for not gꦓreen-lighting the effective vaccine sooner, as the Delta strain ravages the country.
Approval for Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine was originally scheduled for Labor Day but was moved up due to a spike in cases,
Monday’s rubber stamp could lead to the shot being required in certain settings, experts say.
The US surgeon general predicted Sunday that the authorization would cause more educational 𒊎institutions and businesses to enact vaccine mandates.
“There are universities and businesses that have beeꦚn considering putting in vaccine requirements in order to create a safer, a workplace, a learning environment,” Dr. Vivek Murthy said on Fox.
“I thi💟nk this announcement from the FDA would likely encourage them and make them feel more comforta🎐ble in putting some requirements in place.”
“We’ve given it to hundreds of millions of people,” Murthy added on CNN. “We’ve seen that it’s do🥃ing its job. And that’s why we’re continuing to recommend that people get vaccinated starting today and … as soon as they can.”
M. David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis, pledged to put in place a COVID-19 va𒈔ccination mℱandate when Pfizer is granted FDA approval, .
“Once the CDC provides full authorization, as is the case for the other vaccines, we will absolutely pursue [mandating COVID vaccines],” he said in the article published Friday. “My guess is once [full approval] occurs, it will be more difficult at the legislative level to disallow mandatory vaccinations simply because we have mandatory vaccinations in a number of areas.”
“If in fact the vaccine is authorized within the coming week, we will be pursuing the issue, in coordination with the state immediately.”
The president of Louisiana State Univers🌳ity had a similar take.
“We expect the Food and Drug Administration to approve one or more COVID-19 vaccines soon. Once this happens, the University of Louisiana System will require all students be vaccinated,” said William Tate,.
“The University strongly encourages students to get vaccinated now in anticipation of the FDA’s approval.”
FDA approval of Moderna’s vaccine could be weeks away, as the agency reviews the company’s application, according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week approved the agency recommending a b🐻ooster of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines ๊for people with weakened immune systems.
With Post wires
