The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which Pfizer is calling Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.

"Vaccines are our most important tool in the fight against COVID-19," said NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. "All authorized vaccines have met rigorous testing and scientific standards. Millions of North Carolinians have been safely vaccinated, but for some people full FDA approval provides additional confidence. If you are not vaccinated, we urge you: please don’t wait to vaccinate."

The Pfizer vaccine will continue to be available under emergency use authorization for teens 12-15. FDA approval for this age group will require additional time as the vaccine was not authorized for younger teens until May 2021, six months after it was granted EUA for people 16 and older. All available vaccines in the United States have been under an EUA. Rigorous clinical trials among thousands of people have proven that vaccines are safe and effective. More than 170 million Americans have been safely vaccinated against COVID-19.

Vaccines are widely available in North Carolina. Through Aug. 31, anyone 18 and older who gets their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a participating location will receive a $100 Summer Card* in the form of a Prepaid Mastercard® while supplies last.

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