The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly pushing to grant full approval to Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Monday.
FDA regulators were working to fully approve the jab on Friday but still had a substantial amount of documents to go through and negotiations with Pfizer, people with knowledge on the process told The New York Times.
If some parts of the review require more time, full approval could come past Monday, the sources told the newspaper.
Full approval on Monday would be sooner than the FDA’s earlier expected timeline for the sign-off. The FDA’s unofficial deadline for licensing the Pfizer vaccine was around Labor Day.
The Pfizer vaccine’s full approval is expected to be the catalyst for various public and private organizations to impose vaccination mandates, including hospitals and universities. Many organizations were waiting for the FDA’s seal to announce inoculation requirements, which are unpopular among the vaccine hesitant population.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon stated it would make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all US military members by mid-September or earlier upon the FDA granting full approval to the Pfizer jab.
FDA regulators continue to review Moderna’s application for full approval of its Covid-19 jab. That approval could come a few weeks after Pfizer’s vaccine is fully licensed.
Breaking story, check back for updates…