It’s been a year since Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved. Here’s a look back at what’s happened since then

2 years ago 271

FILE - A syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine astatine a session successful the Norristown Public Health Center successful Norristown, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) (Matt Rourke, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A large milestone successful the pandemic: It’s been 1 twelvemonth since Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was approved.

It was the archetypal vaccine disposable successful the combat against the coronavirus.

Now, 480 cardinal shots person been administered, with 60% of Americans afloat vaccinated.

But caller cases are up 22% since Nov. 24, 2021, arsenic the delta variant continues to surge crossed overmuch of the country. Meanwhile, the omicron variant is successful astatine slightest 30 states, including Florida and Georgia.

Some doctors — including Dr. Shalika Katugaha, Baptist Health strategy aesculapian manager of infectious illness — are cautiously optimistic astir wherever we are 1 twelvemonth later.

“I consciousness similar we’ve travel an extraordinarily agelong way. That being said, we inactive person a agelong mode to go, arsenic well,” Katugaha said.

So however did we get here?

Dec. 11, 2020: The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 and older.

Dec. 14, 2020: The UF Health CEO gets the archetypal COVID-19 vaccine successful Jacksonville.

Dec.18, 2020: The FDA authorizes Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 and older.

Feb. 21, 2021: 500,000 Americans died from Covid-19

Feb. 27, 2021: The FDA authorizes the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

March 13, 2021: The U.S. surpasses 100 cardinal vaccinations administered.

May 10, 2021: The FDA expands Pfizer’s vaccine for teenagers 12 to 15.

Aug.12, 2021: The FDA authorizes booster shots for Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines for immunocompromised.

Oct. 29, 2021: The FDA expands Pfizer’s vaccine for kids 5 to 11.

Dec. 9, 2021: The FDA recommends Pfizer’s booster shots for individuals 16 and older.

“This has been a twelvemonth of science, of infectious disease. It’s benignant of what I went to aesculapian schoolhouse for, and I’ve seen it each play out: There was a pandemic and determination was this microorganism that came and past scientists came and created a platform, granted that’s been around, but they utilized this platform,” Katugaha said. “People volition look astatine these 2 years and constitute books astir however overmuch we’ve accomplished.”

When News4JAX asked Katugaha what we’ve learned astir implicit the past twelvemonth from these vaccines, Katugaha said that they are effectual and safe. Yet 40% of Americans stay unvaccinated arsenic 2021 comes to an end.

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