The US drug regulator gave full approval to Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine on Monday for people 16 and older, making it the first to move beyond emergency use status.
This has made the two-shot Pfizer vaccine the first to receive full approval from the federal government.
Also See | ZyCoV-D: The world’s first DNA Covid-19 vaccine; everything you need to know about the new vaccine
“After a thorough, independent, and rigorous scientific review process that began more than a year ago, the FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer vaccine. Today’s announcement reaffirms the FDA’s findings that the vaccine is safe and effective,” the White House said.
Public health experts hope that this move will convince more unvaccinated Americans that Pfizer's shot is safe and effective.
The Pfizer vaccine has been in use in the US under an emergency authorisation since December 2020. Since then, more than 200 million Pfizer doses have been administered in the US.