ST. LOUIS — The Food and Drug Administration granted Pfizer full approval for its COVID-19 vaccine Monday. Pfizer now has the only COVID vaccine with full FDA approval.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson still have only emergency use authorization.
Health officials in St. Louis say vaccine-hesitant people should be encouraged by the approval.
At St. Louis Hills Pharmacy on Chippewa, where they give walk-in vaccinations, Dr. Tyler Taylor is hopeful.
“The FDA has just announced they have approved the Pfizer vaccine,” said Taylor. “It’s really encouraging because there was a lot of hesitancy to get the vaccine without the FDA approval. So, we’re really hoping more people are encouraged to get the vaccine, now.”
Taylor said this development should encourage people who are reluctant to get vaccinated.
“A lot of people were hesitant because it didn’t have that full approval from the FDA,” he said. “So, there was some hesitancy. I hope that can encourage some people to now go get it.”
Inside the Salvation Army vaccination clinic on Washington Avenue west of downtown, immunization nurse Channay Brown has dealt with vaccine reluctance.
“Yes, many people are reluctant to get vaccinated because they state, quite often, that they are waiting for full approval," Brown said. "Now we’ve got full approval, so come out and get vaccinated! I think we’re going to be busy, which is a good thing.”
Officials with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis are opening four full-time vaccination clinics, next week. News of the Pfizer development may help that organization’s efforts to encourage the unvaccinated.
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