Some experts are urging the FDA to move faster in fully approving COVID-19 vaccines, a move some believe will boost uptake of the shots, The Hill reported June 27.
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in May found that 32 percent of unvaccinated people said they'd be more likely to get a shot if it was fully approved by the FDA. Some unvaccinated people have said they view emergency use authorizations as an indicator the vaccines are still experimental and haven't been fully tested, The Hill reported.
Pfizer began submitting data for full approval of its COVID-19 vaccine May 7, but it's unclear when the FDA will grant approval. Moderna began submitting data for its shot June 1. Jesse Goodman, MD, a former FDA chief scientist, told The Hill he believes the FDA's review could take three or four months and will be completed sometime this summer.
An FDA spokesperson told The Hill the agency can't comment on applications for approval. Pfizer declined to comment.
Experts told The Hill the FDA just has a large amount of data to sort through and that it'll take time to review. Some added that if the agency grants full approval too soon, it could undermine confidence in the process. The FDA has to strike a balance between moving quickly to get full approval and making sure there's still a careful review and trust in the approval process.
Still, other experts pointed out to The Hill that the FDA has much more real-world data for the COVID-19 vaccines than it does for most other drugs it approves, as more than 170 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine and 130 million doses of Moderna's vaccine have been administered in the U.S.
Full approval of the vaccines would also likely lead to more employers requiring vaccination for employees, which could further boost vaccination numbers, The Hill reported.
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