- Title: U.S. FDA grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- Date: 23rd August 2021
- Summary: LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 16, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NURSE WORKING WITH COVID PATIENT NURSE ENTERS COVID PATIENT'S ROOM NURSE SPEAKS TO PATIENT INSIDE COVID ROOM NURSE EXITS COVID ROOM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES (FILE - AUGUST 10, 2021) (REUTERS) HOSPITAL WORKERS PEERING INTO PATIENT'S ROOM NURSES SPEAKING IN THE HALLWAY HOSPITAL WORKER CARING FOR COVID PATIENT TIGHT SHOT OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
- Embargoed: 6th September 2021 14:55
- Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine FDA Pfizer pandemic
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA004ERI3ZGN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday (August 23) gave full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and German partner BioNTech SE for use in people over the age of 16, in the first such approval of a COVID-19 shot.
The vaccine has been authorized for emergency use since December and more than 204 million people in the United States have received it, based on Sunday's data. But none of the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines had previously received full FDA approval.
Public health officials hope it will convince more unvaccinated Americans that Pfizer's shot is safe and effective. Vaccine hesitancy among some Americans has hindered the United States' response to the novel coronavirus.
"While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated," said Janet Woodcock, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's acting commissioner.
Roughly 51% of Americans have been fully vaccinated so far, even as a recent surge of infections spurred by the contagious Delta variant ravages parts of the country with low vaccination rates.
(Production: Roselle Chen, Michael Erman) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None