
Watch Live: Biden speaks after FDA grants full approval to Pfizer vaccine
CBSN
President Joe Biden is speaking after the Food and Drug Administration announced it has granted full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech for their COVID-19 vaccine to be given to Americans as young as 16, the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full FDA approval. Health officials hope the new status will encourage more unvaccinated people to get the jab. What: President Biden speaks after the FDA grants full approval for the Pfizer vaccine Date: August 23, 2021 Time: 1:30 p.m. ET Location: White House, Washington, D.C. Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
The FDA approval could also set into motion a new wave of vaccine requirements among employers and universities as cases and deaths rise to the highest levels in months. It also comes as Mr. Biden faces arguably most difficult crisis of his presidency yet, as U.S. troops race against the clock to evacuate thousands of Americans and Afghans who helped the U.S. out of Afghanistan.
In the past year, over 135 million passengers traveled to the U.S. from other countries. To infectious disease experts, that represents 135 million chances for an outbreak to begin. To identify and stop the next potential pandemic, government disease detectives have been discreetly searching for viral pathogens in wastewater from airplanes. Experts are worried that these efforts may not be enough.