A rumor is gaining traction online that the newly FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, now marketed as Comirnaty, is different from the vaccine that was originally granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and has been administered worldwide. An anti-vaccine site that has published COVID-19 misinformation in the past posted an article claiming that the vaccines are not only different but that the vaccines that will be administered for the foreseeable future are still under EUA to protect Pfizer from liability. Both of these claims are false, and rhetoric of this kind is being used to undermine the confidence of people who were waiting for FDA approval to get vaccinated. It’s common for drugs to be referred to by names used in clinical trials until they are FDA approved, at which point they receive a brand name. Prior to FDA approval, the vaccine developed and distributed by Pfizer and BioNTech was named BNT162b2 but called the Pfizer or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for clarity. The only difference between FDA-approved Comirnaty and the FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the licensing and labeling. The vaccine is already being distributed under the name Comirnaty in the E.U. The change in status from EUA to FDA approval has no effect on liability protection.
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There is widespread confusion regarding the Comirnaty name. Providing clear guidance and updating informational materials to state that the FDA-approved Comirnaty and the FDA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are the same is recommended. Fact Checking Source(s): FDA, Very Well Health, Washington Post
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