As of Aug. 23, 2021, the FDA has granted approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Previously named Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, the company has now renamed the vaccination ‘Comirnaty’. 

When the FDA approves a drug or a vaccine, it is allowed to be marketed with a brand name. Pfizer chose to combine the words ‘immunity’ and ‘mRNA’, resulting in the new name for the vaccine.

There are certain requirements for vaccine names, and Comirnaty won over the suggested name ‘Covuity’. The vaccination is still under the emergency use category for anyone under 16 years old. 

Pfizer, having the first vaccination approved by the FDA, will likely set a precedent for Covid-19 vaccinations, with Moderna and Johnson and Johnson likely to attempt to follow suit.

 It was also announced that a third “booster shot” can be administered for those who have already received the first two vaccinations. 

Full approval for a vaccination means that Pfizer currently has the biggest recommendation from the FDA out of all the vaccinations available. A recommendation from the FDA may help ease the minds of many people who have been worried about the safety of the vaccine. 

This approval could inspire companies to require vaccination of their employees or schools for their students and staff. Now that the FDA approved Pfizer’s vaccination, multiple federal departments have requirements for vaccination of all employees. 

While the vaccination continues to be widely controversial, this FDA approval may have an impact on undecided Americans. Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine is available by appointment at many pharmacies and corner stores such as Walgreens, CVS and Jewel Osco.