Covid-19 shots are safe and effective. Officials from the Biden administration hope that the FDA's full approval will allow for vaccinations to all people aged 16 and over. This will help to spur an increase in the number of vaccines among those who have been waiting months for the FDA's official stamp to the Pfizer vaccine.
According to Kaiser Family Foundation polling, around 30 percent of people who are still unvaccinated believe they would prefer to receive a fully approved vaccine rather than an emergency vaccine.
The full approval could encourage more employers to mandate the shot, increasing vaccination rates. It is also a crucial step towards implementing the administration's plan to offer booster shot, starting in September, to those who received their first doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at least eighteen months ago.
The White House requested comment from the FDA. The FDA declined to comment.
The FDA's decision is expected to be made approximately three months after Pfizer applied and nine months after the FDA approved Covid-19 as an emergency vaccine. The vaccine is available for people aged 12 and over.
After accelerating its work due to the increase in Delta cases, the FDA had originally planned to complete the approval by September. However, people familiar with the matter warned that the FDA could still face delays at the last minute. The agency appears to be on track to meet its deadline.
Recent weeks have seen an explosion in infections, with caseloads reaching new highs that were not seen since February. This is a result of a resurgence that also includes a growing number of cases that can be considered breakthrough among those who are vaccinated.
The administration announced Wednesday that they would begin giving booster shots to vaccinated Americans starting Sept. 20. This was in response to concerns about the shot's effectiveness against infection. They also stressed the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe diseases, and that people who are not vaccinated continue to be the majority of Covid-19 deaths and hospitalizations.
Biden's administration has taken aggressive measures to increase vaccination rates, including mandating federal workers to be vaccinated and encouraging employers to do the same.
In late September, the health department will issue new regulations that will require nursing homes to immunize all staff. Otherwise, federal Medicare and Medicaid funding could be lost.
