First COVID-19 Vaccine Approved in the US... Steps Toward Mandatory Vaccination (Comprehensive)

FDA Grants First Full Approval to Pfizer Vaccine
Early Legal Basis Secured for Vaccine
Biden Urges "Get Vaccinated"
US Military, New York City, and Companies Move to Mandate Vaccines
Claims of Limits to Vaccination Expansion Also Raised

U.S. President Joe Biden is giving a speech urging vaccination after the FDA's full approval of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. This is expected to accelerate the enforcement of vaccine mandates and booster shot administration in the United States. President Joe Biden has once again urged people to get vaccinated.

Janet Woodcock, Acting FDA Commissioner, said during a briefing on the 23rd (local time) after announcing the official approval of the Pfizer vaccine, "As the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive (formal) approval from the FDA, the public can be confident that this vaccine meets the FDA's highest standards for safety, efficacy, and manufacturing quality."

Woodcock stated that this official approval marks a "critical moment" in the United States' fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

She added, "The vaccines approved by the FDA and those authorized for emergency use contain the same ingredients, and the first and second doses of the vaccine can be mixed and used interchangeably."

The FDA reduced the usual time required for formal approval by 40%. They explained that through overnight work and combining Pfizer's data with their own analysis, they reached a swift approval decision. The FDA had granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine in December last year considering the emergency situation, but they also quickly completed the formal approval to support expanding vaccinations under a legal basis.

The FDA is also expected to soon grant formal approval for the Moderna and Janssen vaccines.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Biden: "Get vaccinated immediately"... COVID-19 vaccine advertising and mandates may become possible

President Biden called the FDA's formal approval of the vaccine a "major milestone in the fight against COVID-19" and urged vaccination.

President Biden said, "If you are one of the millions of Americans who have refused to get vaccinated until the FDA gave full approval, now it has happened. It's time to go get vaccinated. Get vaccinated today."

So far, more than 92 million Americans have received the Pfizer vaccine. Most of the other vaccinated individuals have received Moderna's vaccine.

President Biden also urged the private sector and local governments to require proof of vaccination from their employees.

Governments and local authorities have already taken action.

The Department of Defense, which had announced plans to mandate vaccination for the military upon FDA full approval, announced the vaccine mandate for 1.4 million military-related personnel on the same day.

The Department of Defense stated, "We are ready to announce updated guidance requiring all military personnel to be vaccinated," and "The schedule for completing vaccinations will be released within a few days."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio mandated COVID-19 vaccination for all teachers and staff in public schools on the same day. By September 27, after the fall semester begins on September 13, all school employees and teachers in New York City must provide proof of having received at least one dose of the vaccine.

United Airlines also notified its employees on the same day to submit proof of vaccination within five weeks.

The Wall Street Journal reported that oil major Chevron is reviewing whether to mandate vaccination for some employees and possibly expand it to all employees.

CNN described this as "opening the door for more vaccine mandate measures."

After the formal approval of the COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer plans to advertise the vaccine under the brand name 'Comirnaty.' With the establishment of a legal basis for vaccination and the possibility of various forms of vaccine advertising to Americans, this could serve as an opportunity to reduce vaccine skepticism.

However, there are also forecasts that the formal approval may not be a decisive factor in expanding vaccination coverage. The New York Times cited Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi's health officer, saying, "Only about 5% of the unvaccinated will decide to get vaccinated because of the formal approval."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.