FDA to Prioritize Full Approval for Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer Inc. announced on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review to its COVID-19 vaccine, positioning the vaccine for full approval by January.

The Pfizer vaccine has been administered to more Americans than any other shot so far in the U.S. vaccination campaign. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 85 million people have been fully vaccinated with the two-dose Pfizer regimen.

A full approval for the Pfizer vaccine could help boost U.S. vaccination efforts. Some people who have been reluctant to get a shot have said they are unwilling to get an experimental medication, and an approval could also make it easier for employers, school districts, and others to mandate vaccination, Bloomberg News reported.

Right now, the Pfizer vaccine is only authorized on an emergency basis for people aged 12 years and older. Pfizer said it would apply for full approval in those aged 12 to 15 years once the required six months of data following second vaccine doses are available.