Pfizer and its partner BioNTech have sought full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to administer their coronavirus vaccine in people 16 and older, the companies said Friday. The vaccine is currently being given to adults in America under an emergency use authorization, which was granted in December.
Full approval would let Pfizer and BioNTech market the shot directly to consumers and make it easier for companies, government agencies and schools to require vaccinations, according to Politico.
More than 134 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine had been administered in the US as of Thursday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We are proud of the tremendous progress we've made since December in delivering vaccines to millions of Americans, in collaboration with the US government," Albert Bourla, Pfizer's chairman and CEO, said in a release. "We look forward to working with the FDA to complete this rolling submission and support their review, with the goal of securing full regulatory approval of the vaccine in the coming months."
Moderna plans to apply for full approval for its COVID-19 vaccine this month as well, the New York Times reported.
See also: 16 important do's and don'ts for getting your COVID-19 vaccine
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