FDA Announces Full Approval of Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine

As expected, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it has granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine for people 16 and older.

As a result of today’s announcement, we now know that when the fall semester begins on Tuesday, September 7 approximately 99 percent of all students will have at least started the vaccination process, and we will be days away from realizing our goal of becoming a fully vaccinated community.

We thank the roughly 85 percent of our community who have already completed their vaccine series and uploaded their vaccination cards as well as the many others who have begun their series and are awaiting the second dose. A special congratulations to the 99 percent of our fall student-athletes and coaches who have at least started their vaccination series.

Since the FDA first issued emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine on December 11, 2020, the Siena community has gone on the offensive in the war against Covid. Throughout the winter and spring, we used all available resources to ensure students and employees had access to immunization from the moment they became eligible. The result of the increased prevalence of the vaccine on our campus was transformative: from April 20 through Commencement on May 30 only three positive Covid cases were identified. That was a tremendous difference from the pre-vaccination period of February 22 through April 19, when 265 community members contracted the virus.

For those who were waiting for the vaccine to transition to full FDA approval, the wait is over. Pursuant to our policies, unvaccinated students without a College-approved medical or religious exemption must begin their Covid immunization series by August 30, seven days from today (the deadline to apply for exemption was August 15). Students who do not comply with the vaccination policy will not be permitted to return to campus. Any student who fails to provide proof that they have begun their vaccination series will be disenrolled from Siena College unless they have a College-approved medical or religious exemption. The Division of Student Life will be reaching out to all unvaccinated students shortly with detailed instructions for how and when unvaccinated students can provide proof that they have started their Covid immunization series. The College’s Covid-19 Vaccination Policy for employees and volunteers goes into effect Wednesday, September 1 and those who fail to comply will be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including termination.

It is important to note that while the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine is the first to gain full FDA approval, Siena also accepts documented proof of immunization from any of the vaccines readily available through FDA emergency use authorization (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson in the U.S.) as well as those deemed safe and effective by the World Health Organization (for our international students).

Any unvaccinated community member with a College-approved exemption must wear a mask while indoors and submit to regular surveillance testing as outlined in Siena policies and our Marching Forward plan. Faculty members and supervisors will receive updated lists of students and employees required to wear a mask in the classroom and/or inside Siena buildings and with others.

We have known for some time that Covid vaccination is safe and effective — nearly five billion vaccines have been administered worldwide with more than 170 million Americans completing their series. Today’s FDA announcement, grounded in more than a year’s worth of scientific research and unimpeachable data based on an enormous pool of actual use case studies, clears a major hurdle for our College and our nation in the race to turn back the virus and limit the health risks of current and future variants through vaccination.

We committed to becoming a vaccinated community to protect the health and safety of ourselves and our loved ones. We did it because we are inspired by our Franciscan heritage and we look out for our fellow Saints. And we did it with the promise of providing the richest and most rewarding Siena experience possible this year. We are now set to deliver and receive the Education for a Lifetime and more fully enjoy all the dynamic, immersive activities that define it. 

Sincerely,

Siena Coronavirus Ops Center Team