Pfizer vaccine gets full FDA authorization

The Food and Drug Administration issued full authorization Monday of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 and up.
The vaccine remains under emergency use authorization for those age 12-15 years and for the administration of the third dose option for individuals who are moderately or severely immuno-compromised.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, the full licensed approval from the FDA is given after more than nine months of data review and continued case study. The Pfizer vaccine has been available in Tennessee since December 2020, with approximately 3.4 million Pfizer doses administered to date.
TDH said vaccination rates across the state have increased over the last month as the state experiences a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant. In particular, younger Tennesseans are choosing to receive the vaccine with the highest rate of increases in the 12-15 age group and the 16-20 age group.