Maine Leaders React to FDA Approval of the Pfizer COVID Vaccine

Governor Mills and other leaders on the front lines of the pandemic are reacting favorably to the news that the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine has received FDA approval.

It was announced on the Food and Drug Administration's website on Monday. The vaccine that's been referred to as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has received full approval. Officials say the vaccine will now be marketed under the name Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. It will also be available under emergency use authorization for people 12 through 15 years of age.

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Governor Janet Mills says it's a welcome milestone in the battle against the pandemic, and reminds residents that getting vaccinated may save you and your family.

With the more dangerous and more transmissible Delta variant driving a surge in cases and hospitalizations and threatening the lives of Maine people, there is no time to waste in getting your shot.

Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services says science has kept Maine at the forefront of the battle against COVID.

But we must not let up. I urge all those who haven't yet been vaccinated to make a plan to get their shot as soon as possible.

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Nirav Shah says there's no better time than now to get vaccinated.

While Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine had already met the rigorous scientific standards of the emergency use authorization, today's approval should give Maine people even more confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective.

According to the Maine CDC COVID Vaccination Dashboard, 70% of eligible Maine residents have been fully vaccinated. Anyone who is not yet vaccinated can find information about where to get their shots on the state's informational site.