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These major companies are already mandating vaccines - will FDA approval pave way for others to follow?

The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

News 12 Staff

Aug 23, 2021, 10:49 AM

Updated 1,199 days ago

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Now that the FDA granted full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Monday, one of the biggest questions is whether or not companies will begin to mandate vaccination for employees.
Several large companies have already approved plans to require vaccination. Those companies include United Airlines, Disney, Walmart, Microsoft, Google and Facebook.
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Jose Santiago, of Alcott HR, which partners with more than 300 companies nationwide, says it's more likely now that employers will create mandates.
"They want it to be optional. You want employees to choose it but in order to keep their businesses open and be able to serve their clientele and maintain the safety of their employees it's likely that employers will now more than before be willing to make it mandatory," says Santiago.
Health officials are also hoping that the approval will convince more people to get vaccinated.
"So, for that group it really is good news and we're very hopeful that a significant portion of people will change their mind," says Dr. Uzma Syed, and Infectious Disease Specialist with Catholic Health.
The FDA's acting director says, "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."
President Joe Biden also urged more Americans to go get the shot now that it has been fully approved.
The approval also paves the way for the Pentagon to mandate the vaccine among the more than a million active-duty service members.