The US government gave full approval on Monday to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the first of the vaccines produced and approved since the disease’s outbreak in 2019.

Up until now the Pfizer vaccine, like the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson versions, have been approved for emergency use. This fact has led many to question whether the vaccines were safe and effective, and in some people’s minds, whether they were really vaccines at all. It has been used by some as a reason to avoid taking the vaccine.

The approval is leading to universities, businesses and other organizations to require their students or employees be vaccinated.

The approval given by the FDA on Monday is the “gold standard” for new medicines. Pfizer completed a 360,000 page application, according to the Associated Press, and passed rigorous inspections. The FDA had more evidence than it has ever had to judge the vaccine’s safety. Over 200 million doses have been administered in the U.S., and side effects remain very rare.

Compare that to the 1,000 U.S. deaths caused each day in the U.S. by COVID-19’s delta variant, and the reasons to get vaccinated become more compelling.

The full FDA approval should encourage those who have been hesitant to feel safer about the vaccine. We hope it will lead to increased vaccination numbers, and fewer new infections and deaths related to COVID.