President Joe Biden is speaking after the Food and Drug Administration announced it has granted full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech for their COVID-19 vaccine to be given to Americans as young as 16, the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full FDA approval. Health officials hope the new status will encourage more unvaccinated people to get the jab.
“So let me say this loudly and clearly: If you’re one of the millions of Americans who said that they will not get the shot until it has full and final approval of the FDA, it has now happened. The moment you’ve been waiting for is here,” the president said.
The president called the FDA’s approval the “gold standard,” and emphasized that vaccines are free, safe, easy, effective and convenient. He also emphasized that the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.
“There is no time to waste,” Mr. Biden said, warning against the Delta variant and insisting this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
The FDA approval could also set into motion a new wave of vaccine requirements among employers and universities as cases and deaths rise to the highest levels in months. The FDA had initially authorized the Pfizer vaccine on an emergency use basis. The vaccine has yet to be approved for emergency use in children younger than 12. Since that’s the case, the president said best way for children to remain safe at school is for kids to mask up.
The Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are still under an emergency use authorization designation.
“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. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S,” said acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.
