The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. 

According to FDA’s announcement, the vaccine will “now be marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.”

The approval means that this vaccine meets the highest safety and efficacy standards and is a big step in the fight against COVID-19.

Long term care providers have been working tirelessly over the past 18 months to protect staff and highly vulnerable residents. The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living undertook the #GetVaccinated campaign earlier this year to encourage staff and residents to get one of the three available vaccines. Today’s announcement should provide additional reassurance that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective.

For more information on this as well as the recently announced booster shot plan, see COVID-19 Vaccine: Boosters vs. Additional Doses for Immunocompromised.