Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine wins full U.S. approval

Healthcare workers have administered more than 200 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus shot in the United States since December. On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted its strongest endorsement to the vaccine, making the United States the first country to give it full approval. The authorization covers the two-dose regimen for people age 16 or older. The seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 135,000 on Friday.

What’s the trend in vaccinations? After the number of people getting shots hit a low in July, the vaccination rate is rising again. More than half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, as well as more than 60 percent of those older than 18. Now that one of the COVID-19 vaccines has full authorization, more companies, schools, and local governments may start requiring it. New York City announced on Monday that all public school teachers and staff will have to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Dig deeper: Read Dr. Charles Horton’s Q&A on COVID-19 vaccines.