Headline Roundup • August 23rd, 2021
FDA Gives Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Full Approval
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Monday for people 16 and older. It's the first COVID-19 vaccine to be upgraded from emergency use authorization to full approval; it was first approved for emergency use eight months ago. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock as part of Monday's announcement.
There were few notable differences in initial coverage from left- and right-rated news sources. Reports from across the spectrum focused on how the approval may lead to vaccine mandates for service members, federal employees and college students, as well as how it may encourage skeptics to get the vaccine.
Featured Coverage of this Story

USA TODAY, Storyful
Eight months after first authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has issued its full stamp of approval.
Now that the companies' detailed, so-called biologics license application has been granted, it's expected vaccination will be required by many companies, schools and other entities.
The FDA decision also clears the way for the companies to market their vaccine, which is not permitted without full licensure. And it may launch a race for booster shots, allowing doctors to prescribe extra Pfizer-BioNTech shots "off label" to anyone they think should get one.
The FDA confirmed late...

(Justin Tallis - Pool / Getty Images)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that it has granted full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for individuals 16 years of age or older.
The vaccine approval is the fastest in the agency’s history, coming less than four months after Pfizer-BioNTech completed its “biologics license application” in May. The FDA had moved to clear the shot’s regulatory hurdles in record time, evaluating the company’s latest safety data and inspecting vaccine factories around the world, according to CBS News.
“While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19...

CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, a long-awaited development that public health officials hope will persuade some people who remain hesitant about the vaccine to get the shot.
The vaccine is the first of the pandemic vaccines used in the United States to transition from emergency use status to full licensure, a major victory for a partnership that decided to forgo funding through the government’s Operation Warp Speed program on the belief that the development...
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