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FDA News Release

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: October 12, 2021

For Immediate Release:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:

  • Today the FDA announced that it intends to withdraw, effective Dec. 31, 2021, guidance documents originally issued in March 2020 outlining temporary policies for manufacturers that were not drug manufacturers at the time to produce certain alcohol-based hand sanitizer and alcohol for use in hand sanitizers during the public health emergency. Effective Dec. 31, 2021, companies manufacturing alcohol-based hand sanitizers under the temporary policies must cease production of these products. Hand sanitizers manufactured before or on December 31, 2021, and produced under the temporary guidances, must no longer be sold to wholesalers or retailers by March 31, 2022.
  • Testing updates: 
    • As of today, 416 tests and sample collection devices are authorized by the FDA under emergency use authorizations (EUAs). These include 291 molecular tests and sample collection devices, 88 antibody and other immune response tests and 35 antigen tests. There are 65 molecular authorizations and one antibody authorization that can be used with home-collected samples. There is one molecular prescription at-home test, three antigen prescription at-home tests, seven antigen over-the-counter (OTC) at-home tests and two molecular OTC at-home tests.
    • The FDA has authorized 16 antigen tests and eight molecular tests for serial screening programs. The FDA has also authorized 647 revisions to EUA authorizations.

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The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.


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