The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could get full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by next week, according to reports.
The approval could happen as early as Monday, but that may change due to different factors.
The agency previously set an unofficial deadline for the full approval for the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer/BioNTech by September.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is currently under Emergency Use Authorization.
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Could Get Full FDA Approval Soon
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could get the FDA's full approval as early as Monday, according to Ars Technica. That, however, could easily change due to paperwork and other factors that may delay the full FDA approval.
According to Ars Technica, 200 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have already been administered in the country.
The Pfizer vaccine is the first COVID vaccine to be granted an Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. at the end of 2020, per a report by Politico. Pfizer applied for full approval in May.
A full FDA approval for a COVID-19 vaccine may sway some of those who refuse to get their shots due to the fact that none of the available vaccines have received full approval so far.
Pfizer is likewise seeking approval for a booster shot. The COVID-19 vaccine manufacture argues that a booster is necessary to increase protection against COVID-19.
Current COVID-19 Situation in the US
As of press time, the United States has more than 37 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, per the World Health Organization (WHO). The country has also recorded around 620,000 deaths due to the virus.
The current surge in COVID-19 cases has been driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, which spreads as easily as chickenpox. U.S. health experts have previously warned that the COVID-19 Delta variant is a serious threat to the country's citizens.
More and more children have been infected by COVID-19 in the current surge, which has alarmed health experts around the country. Despite this, schools and government officials are still debating whether or not to require children to wear masks while at school.
Related Article: COVID-19 Delta, Respiratory Syncytial Virus Cases Rising Among Children
COVID-19 Vaccine to Become a Requirement at Work?
According to the report by Ars Technica, the seemingly inevitable full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine "is expected to spur a wave of vaccination mandates-from hospitals, universities, and other employers."
The report cited the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's statement made in May that employers are allowed to mandate COVID-19 vaccination.
Facebook is one of the companies that have announced that they will be requiring employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 once they return to the office. Facebook has also announced that it will delay employees' return to office until 2022.
Google has also announced a vaccine mandate for employees even as the company has likewise delayed the return of its employees to the office to October.
Also Read: Facebook is Delaying Its Return to Offices in 2022, Still Requires Proof of Vaccination
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
