(CNN)The US Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older. This is the first coronavirus vaccine approved by the FDA, and is expected to open the door to more vaccine mandates.
The vaccine will be marketed as Comirnaty, the FDA said in its announcement on Monday. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been authorized for emergency use in the United States since mid-December for people age 16 and older, and in May, the authorization was extended to those 12 and older.
"The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals," according to the FDA.
Out of more than 170 million people in the United States fully vaccinated against Covid-19, more than 92 million have received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Agency official said Monday they hope approval will push unvaccinated people to get vaccinated. US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that approval could encourage individuals to act, and more mandates.
The Pentagon plans to make the vaccine mandatory for all active duty members of the US military by the middle of September, or sooner, based on approval timing, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a memo released earlier this month.
"I want you to know that I will seek the President's approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first," the memo states.
Full FDA approval may also mean big changes in terms of vaccine requirements for staff and students in schools.
