Pfizer

The authorization comes in the midst of an explosion of COVID-19 cases nationwide driven by the omicron variant — a surge that has brought a spike in pediatric hospitalizations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could give final approval for kids as young as 5 to get the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

“We strongly encourage appointments. As they become available, we’ll have those posted on our website,” the county’s health department director said.

The manufacturing of every Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine dose produced to date has started in Chesterfield, Missouri. The company also tests every batch. Justin Sperry, head of R&D at the site, joined "St. Louis on the Air" to explain how and what it took to develop the vaccine.

After the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, at least one hospital system in Missouri announced it would mandate the shots for employees. Just over half of Missouri adults are fully vaccinated, and doctors hope the full approval will persuade more skeptical patients to seek out the shot.

The approval replaces the emergency use authorizations granted last December and could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination.

Paul Mensah, a Black chemical engineer and vice president of Bioprocess Research and Development group at Pfizer in St. Louis, led a team of scientists, engineers and technicians to develop Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is the first to have data showing that it exceeded the minimum effectiveness threshold set by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use.

Missouri and Kansas have joined 41 other states and Puerto Rico in a lawsuit accusing generic drug makers of conspiring to manipulate and drive up...

St. Louis County is getting another big business development.Pfizer is partnering with Clayco and CRG for a new $200 million facility in Chesterfield.…