FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release:
August 23, 2021
FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine
Approval Signifies Key Achievement for Public Health
“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”
Additional Government contractor Guidance is beginning to be implemented by the Federal Government.
On-site contractors who do not attest that they are fully vaccinated or complete the form must wear a mask, physically distance, comply with a weekly or twice-weekly screening testing requirement, and are to follow Government-wide restrictions when working on their contract. These protocols are in line with the revised model safety principles from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) July 26, 2021 guidance.