U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House East Room in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.
Monday's President Joe Biden called for more Americans to be vaccinated against Covid-19. He stated that the majority of hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. are due to the virus among those who have not been vaccinated.
Biden stated that those who had been waiting for approval should now go get their shot. This was just hours after BioNTech and Pfizer's Covid vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
He stated that the U.S. agency had evaluated "mountains” of clinical trial data, and concluded, "without doubt," that the Covid shot is safe and highly effective.
He stated that the overwhelming majority of Covid-19-infected patients and almost all Covid-19-related deaths were not vaccinated. "If you are fully vaccinated for both shots and two weeks, your chances of getting severe Covid-19-related illness are very, very low."
Bidenadded: "Please get vaccinated immediately."
According to FDA, FDA scientists reviewed "hundreds upon thousands of pages" vaccine data from more than 40,000 trial participants before issuing approval. The two-dose vaccine was 91% effective in preventing Covid, slightly less than the 95% efficacy rating trial data showed at the time the shot was approved late last year. This was before the Delta variant became popular in the U.S.
The mRNA vaccine, which will be known as Comirnaty, was available on the U.S. markets under an FDA emergency use authorization granted in December. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 200 million Pfizer shots were administered since then.
Biden's plea comes as more coronavirus cases continue proving to be a problem nationwide. The highly contagious delta variant of the virus is responsible. Biden said that U.S. health officials have begun to notice early signs that there may be fewer cases in some areas of the country. He said that overall cases are increasing, especially among the unvaccinated.
Officials in the United States believe that vaccination is the best way to combat rising cases. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 51% of the U.S. total population was fully vaccinated against Covid as of Sunday.
The U.S. approval will likely lead to a new wave in vaccine mandates from schools and corporate America. Some or all of the major companies have told their employees to get Covid vaccines this fall. Health experts believe that some institutions and private businesses may not have been able to get the shots without being fully approved by the law.
New York City officials announced earlier in the day that they will now require all 148,000 teachers and staff to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations this fall. They previously stated that employees could be exempted from the vaccines by submitting to Covid testing on a weekly basis.
Biden called upon other schools and businesses during his speech to mandate the vaccine.
He said that vaccines are wanted in America by people all over the globe. They are free, easy and available for you. Please go now, for yourself and for your family members, as well as for your neighbor's country.
This report was contributed by Bob Towey and Rich Mendez of CNBC.
