The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aiming to grant full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as Monday, The New York Times reported Friday evening.
Regulators at the agency were seeking to finish the approval process by the end of Friday but still have paperwork to complete, The NYT reported. Officials familiar with the process reportedly said the approval could still be pushed back past Monday if more time is needed to complete the review process.
Breaking NYT: The FDA is aiming to give full approval to Pfizer’s COVID vaccine on Monday.https://t.co/048zLrhak3
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 20, 2021
It had previously been reported that the FDA was seeking to have the vaccine fully approved by Labor Day. As of now, COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are only available under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), not full approval. (RELATED: It Turns Out Those Plastic Barriers Put Up To Stop COVID-19 May Actually Make It Easier To Spread)
The shots were rushed to EUA in order to combat the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, and hundreds of millions of shots have been given out in the form of the Trump and Biden administration’s vaccination campaigns. It’s expected that full approval will clear some regulatory hurdles for institutions like schools and private businesses to mandate the vaccines for customers, students and staff. (RELATED: What Will It Take To Get Back To Normal? Here’s What The Experts Say)
Some vaccine-hesitant Americans have cited the lack of full approval as a reason for avoiding the shot. Regulators are still reviewing a potential full authorization for Moderna’s vaccine, according to The NYT. Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced that immunocompromised Americans will be able to get booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine beginning next month.