Statement from Virginia State Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula On Food and Drug Administration Granting Full Licensure to Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 23, 2021

Media Contact: Melissa Gordon, Vaccinate Virginia,
melissa.gordon@vdh.virginia.gov

Statement from Virginia State Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula On Food and Drug Administration Granting Full Licensure
to Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine

(Richmond, Va.) – The following statement is from state vaccination coordinator Dr. Danny Avula, MD, MPH

“We at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) are pleased that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to grant full licensure to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for persons ages 16 years and older. This action comes after rigorous review and study by scientists and other researchers at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”  

“As a result, over 200 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered in the United States, with 5,479,907 Pfizer doses administered in Virginia since the vaccination campaign began in late December 2020. The science is clear that this is a safe and effective vaccine that is highly effective in preventing infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and subsequent variants, and in preventing serious illness that could result in hospitalization and/or death.”

“The Pfizer vaccine, which has been referred to as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, will now be marketed under the brand name “Comirnaty.”  The vaccine will continue to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 12 to 15 years of age, and for the administration of a third dose in immunocompromised individuals.”