After a rigorous and thorough scientific review process, today the Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from individuals 16 years and older to also include individuals 12 to 15 years old.

This is a promising development in our fight against the virus. If you are a parent who wants to protect your child, or a teenager who is interested in getting vaccinated, today’s decision is a step closer to that goal.

Millions of 16- and 17-year-olds have been safely vaccinated, and as more and more Americans get vaccinated, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to fall. The safe and effective vaccines are curbing the spread of the virus, saving thousands of lives, and allowing millions of Americans to start returning to a closer to normal life.

In the coming days, we will hear more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its recommendations. I look forward to speaking more about what today’s news means for our vaccination program, but the bottom line is: The light at the end of the tunnel is growing, and today it got a little brighter.

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