The FDA announced the probability of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine approval beyond the emergency authorization from earlier this year, according to The New York Times on Aug. 3, 2021. As a result, vaccination mandates for essential groups such as hospital workers, college students, and military troops are likely.
With reports of surging COVID-19 cases throughout the United States, the FDA is considering final approval for the vaccine. If approval is met, mandates are likely to roll out afterward.
Pfizer is hopeful final approval will inspire others to get the vaccine since many are skeptical of the vaccine’s safety. Officials want the vaccine to be seen as safe to take since Americans pushed back against its use as they believe the vaccine was not thoroughly vetted before being approved for emergency use.
San Francisco, California, is expected to mandate vaccinations once the FDA gives Pfizer the final clearance. Health officials also hope with the approval; this will silence misinformation about the vaccine as a whole.
The Dean of Brown University School of Public Health, Dr. Ashish K. Jha, commented in an interview Tuesday:
I just have not sensed a sense of urgency from the F.D.A. on full approval. And I find it baffling, given where we are as a country in terms of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), they have conducted a research study and found out that 3 out of 10 unvaccinated people are the “wait and see” group; meaning they either want to wait and see how the vaccine works for everybody or they do not trust the vaccine and is awaiting FDA approval of the vaccine.
Many are encouraged to get the vaccine since the Delta variant is starting to spread quickly. Being vaccinated is a huge step toward getting back to normalcy. If the FDA approval is what it takes, then perhaps more vaccine-hesitant individuals will take the necessary step to choose.
Written by Darryl Johnson Jr.
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources
The New York Times– F.D.A. Aims to Give Final Approval to Pfizer Vaccine by Early Next Month- by Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland
KFF- KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: June 2021- by Liz Hamel, Lunna Lopes, and more…
Pfizer- PFIZER AND BioNTech ANNOUNCE VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST COVID-19 ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN FIRST INTERIM ANALYSIS FROM PHASE 3 STUDY
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