FDA grants full approval for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration announced Monday that it had granted full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech for their COVID-19 vaccine to be given to Americans as young as 16, clearing the way for a wave of moves that health officials say could reverse a nationwide slowdown in the pace of first doses. 

The approval caps a months-long "sprint" by the FDA to clear the shot's final remaining regulatory hurdles in record time, scrutinizing reams of the company's latest safety data and conducting inspections at Pfizer's vaccine factories around the world. "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. Today's milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S." said the FDA's Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.