What Would Full FDA Approval Mean for the Pfizer Vaccine?

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) submitted an application on Friday to the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of their coronavirus vaccine. If you're wondering how a full approval would be any different from the status quo, you aren't alone.

There are a few important ways a full FDA approval could differ from the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) that allows Americans to access the partners' vaccine now. If approved, one of the biggest changes most people will notice will be slick advertisements goading hesitant Americans into requesting Pfizer's vaccine by name. The big change behind the scenes, though, will be increased scrutiny of the vaccine's manufacturing process.