The Food and Drug Administration today approved Pfizer's covid vaccine, paving the way for broader adoption and, experts hope, more acceptance among the vaccine-hesitant.
"The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product," said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock. "Today's milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S."
Until now the shot, and those from other companies such as Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, was available under emergency use authorization.
With FDA approval, the Pfizer vaccine is now cued to join required vaccine regimens such as those for schools and the armed forces, though it has still not been approved for use in children.
Pfizer's shot also now gets a drug name: Comirnaty.
