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By WJBC Staff
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s hopeful more people will get vaccinated against COVID-19 now that the Food and Drug Association (FDA) has approved the Pfizer shot.
Former federal approval may give those uncertain about the shot a nudge says the Governor.
“There are people who have been hesitant to get vaccinated because these vaccines were only under emergency use authorization. At this point, now, today, as a result of what the FDA has done, there is reams and reams of research that has now been done to prove that these vaccines are effective to prove these vaccines are effective; especially the mRNA vaccines like Pfizer.”
The Governor has mandated that all state employees who work in facilities with many people like prisons, nursing homes, and veterans’ homes be vaccinated by early Oct.
Vaccines work. @US_FDA’s full approval of the @pfizer vaccine is a testament to its proven protection from this deadly virus.
I hope today's news shows unvaccinated people that the vaccine is our best way to protect ourselves. Let's go #allinillinois.
https://t.co/P95GthcTj2— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) August 23, 2021
“I’m very happy about that. I think that that means that many more people will choose to get vaccinated. And I do think that there will be private institutions that will choose to require vaccinations now that it’s no longer under U-A.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), 61.5% of those 12 and older in Illinois are now fully vaccinated in Illinois.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].