Statement by Healthcare Leadership Council President Mary R. Grealy on Full FDA Approval of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

With the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, we will optimally see more Americans getting vaccinated and gaining greater protection against the surging Delta variant.  Today, almost all of the people filling ICU beds throughout the country are unvaccinated. The key to preserving population health and relieving the current stress on our healthcare system is to reduce the number of individuals who have still not been vaccinated.

No one should have any questions regarding the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.  In addition to the 44,000 persons in the clinical trials for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, we have seen millions of people vaccinated over the several months in which the emergency use authorization has been in effect. The accumulated data meticulously reviewed by the FDA makes it clear that vaccines are the key to emerging from this pandemic.

We look forward to similar FDA full approvals for the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines and a concerted effort by governments, employers, healthcare facilities, academic institutions and others to increase the percentage of Americans who have been vaccinated.

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2021
Contact: Kelly Fernandez  202-449-3452