Today, National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Vice Chairman Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey released the following statement:
“We are pleased that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older, which will now be marketed as Comirnaty. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), for individuals 12-15 years of age.
“As Governors, the health and safety of our residents is our top priority and we have seen the rampant spread of the delta variant in the past few months. We have heard from many of our residents as we have traveled across our states and territories, held town halls, and met with residents, who are hesitant to get vaccinated because they are awaiting full approval of the vaccines. FDA’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine is another tool that will help combat hesitancy by addressing some of the objections and safety concerns that have been expressed. We are hopeful that with today’s FDA announcement more individuals will be encouraged to get vaccinated as we continue to battle this pandemic.
“We want to thank the FDA for prioritizing full approval of the COVID-19 vaccines by ensuring that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective and meets their high standards for approval.”
