FDA granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine wins full FDA approval, according to a report from The Washington Post, citing two individuals with direct knowledge of the decision.

“Federal regulators Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine — a milestone that could help increase inoculation rates and spark a wave of vaccine mandates by employers and universities amid a surge of new cases and hospitalizations fueled by the ferocious delta variant, according to two individuals with direct knowledge of the decision.”

The full approval will potentially pave the way for a series of vaccination mandates by employers and other public and private organizations who were awaiting stronger regulatory backing before implementing mandates. On Friday, The New York Times reported that the FDA was pushing to give full approval to Pfizer’s Covid vaccine today.

The approval is also expected to kick off more vaccination requirements for hospital workers, college students, and federal troops.  Early this month, the FDA said in a statement that approval might inspire more public confidence and had “taken an all-hands-on-deck approach” to the work.

Meanwhile, some questioned the rush to approve the vaccine. For example, former New York Times reports and science writer asked the FDA on Twitter this morning:

“How can you approve a “vaccine” – which by its very name is supposed to have a FIXED-DOSE REGIMEN – if you can’t even answer that question?”

Hey @us_fda – before you approve the @pfizer vaccine today, I have one simple question: How many doses is the regimen? Two, three, TBD?

How can you approve a "vaccine" – which by its very name is supposed to have a FIXED-DOSE REGIMEN – if you can't even answer that question?

— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) August 23, 2021