Why haven't COVID-19 vaccines gotten full approval yet?

Why haven't COVID-19 vaccines gotten full approval yet?

The COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for months, but none of them have actually gotten full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

It also comes as the government is encouraging people to get the vaccine right now.

Jeremy Chen reports.

11... STARTS NOW!THE COVID-19 VACCINES HAVEBEEN WIDELY AVALIABLE -- FORMONTHS...BUT NONE OF THEM... HAVEGOTTEN FULL APPROVAL FROM THEF-D-A.THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR13 ACTION NEWS LIVE AT 11.I’M TODD QUINONES.TRICIA HAS THE NIGHT OFF.THE WAIT FOR "FULL"APPROVAL COMES..

AS THEGOVERNMENT IS ENCOURAGINGPEOPLE... TO GET THE VACCINERIGHT NOW13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER...JEREMY CHEN TALKED WITH AU-N-L-V PROFESSOR... TO CLEARUP WHAT MAY BE A CONFUSINGMESSAGE TO PEOPLE.JEREMY?THIS COMES DOWN TOUNDERSTANDING THE APPROVALPROCESS FROM THE FOOD AND DRUGADMINISTRATIONPROFESSOR BRIAN LABUSTELLS METHE VACCINES ARE FESAAND EFFECTIVE...THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OFCOVID-19 VACCINES-HAS BEEN REGARDED BY HEALTHOFFICIALS AS A SIGNIFICANT STEPIN ENDING THE PANDEMIC.HOWEVER, NONE HAVE BEEN FULLYAPPROVED YET-AND THE CURRENT HEALTH EMERGENCYHAS PUSHED THEM TO MARKETQUICKLY."When there’s an emergencyhappening or a crisis like this,there’s a process to getvaccines and other medicationsto market faster so that we cansave lives."ALL THE AVALIABLE VACCINES AREBEING GIVEN THANKS TO ANEMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.DR. BRIAN LABUSA U-N-L-V HEALTHPROFESSOR SAYS IT’S A TEMPORARYFORM OAPF PROVAL THAT ALLOWSPEOPLE TO GET SHOTS WHILE THEAGENCY CONTINUES TO STUDY THEIREFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY.HE SAYS FULL APPROVAL WOULDREQUIRE SIX MORE MONTHS OF DATA."They have to collect more dataand that in turn takes a longeramount of time to ensure that wemeet all those requirements tohave a safe and effectivevaccines."DR. LABUS SAYS THIS DOESN’T MEANTHE VACNECIS AREN’T ALREADY SAFEAND EFFECTIVE-UNDER THE EMERGENCYAUTHORIZATION."The vaccines that are out thereunder emergency approval havebeen tested.

Have been shown tobe safe and effective.

Just thetime period which we’ve studiedthem is shorter than we’re goingto do with that full approval."HE SAYSHE T FOOD AND DRUGADMINISTRATION IS TAKING ITSTIME-TO FULLY APPROVE THE VACCINE-SO, IT WON’T UNDERMINE PUBLICCONFIDENCE IN ITS PROCESS EVENIN A PANDEMIC."None of us working in publichealth or working as drugmanufacturers want to endangerpeople.

The whole point of thisis to save lives andee kp peopleout of the hospital and keepthem from getting COVID-19."THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMERGENCYAUTHORIZATION AND FULL APPROVALMATTERS.A FULL APPROVAL WOULD GIVESCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OTHERORGANIZATIONS LEGAL BACKING TOREQUIRE THE VACCINE.DR. LABUS BELIEVES SCHOOLS MAYBE THE FIRST TO HAVE A VACCINEMANDATE IF THAT HAPPENS."That’s because we already havelaws in the books that require anumber of other vaccines toattend school.

This would beadding one additional vaccine tothe list of things alreadyrequired."THE PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINESHAVE APPLIED FOR FULL APPROVALEARLIER THIS SUMMER-AND COULD GET LLFU APPROVAL BYJANUAR