Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday hailed the federal Food and Drug Administration’s decision to grant full use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine and said he believed it would lead to more unvaccinated people to take the shot, though he stopped short of a widespread mandate.

       Speaking at the University of Illinois in Urbana to tout state infrastructure investments for the U of I system, Pritzker also credited university researchers for developing the Shield saliva-based coronavirus test, 28 of whom were awarded presidential medallions by system President Timothy Killeen.

       “At this point now, today, as a result of what the FDA has done, there are reams and reams of research that has now been done to prove these vaccines are effective, especially the mRNA vaccines like Pfizer, and so I’m very happy about that,” Pritzker said.

       “I think so many people who may have been hesitant, wondering whether it was approved too quickly, now, literally almost a year later, we now have so much research to show these work,” he said. “I think that that means many more people will choose to get vaccinated.”

       Thomas Robinson listens to Jorri McDowell and Myisha Franklin after receiving a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at his West Pullman home through the Chicago Department of Public Health's at home vaccine program on Aug. 13. (Vashon Jordan Jr. / Chicago Tribune)

       Asked by a reporter if the FDA’s move from previously granting emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine during the pandemic to full use authorization would mean additional steps by the Pritzker administration to mandate vaccinations among state employees or the public, the governor said only that he expected “there will be private institutions that will choose to require vaccinations.”

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       Earlier this month, Pritzker required state employees who work in congregate settings, such as prisons and veterans’ homes, to be vaccinated by Oct. 4. The state’s largest employee’s union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, has encouraged vaccination but opposes a vaccine mandate.

       The University of Illinois system had mandated vaccinations and testing for those who cannot receive the vaccination for students, faculty and staff for the new school year.

       Pritzker has been vaccinated with the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine which has FDA emergency use approval but has not yet received full use approval.

       Pritzker says the university’s development of the Shield saliva-based coronavirus test was a convincing factor in the early days of the pandemic that serious steps such as a stay-at-home order were necessary.

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       “During what may well be the greatest global crisis of our time, leaders here at the University of Illinois collectively accomplished miracles — a demonstration of excellence and ingenuity and of how this university shines a light on the greatness of our state,” the governor said.

       Killeen, the system’s president, called the development of the test, now in use at over 1,000 grade and high schools, “groundbreaking” and said researchers have “proven in real time, with real tangible examples, just what our universities mean to our people in Illinois and beyond.”

       While speaking at the university, Pritzker also announced the departure from his staff of Jesse Ruiz, his deputy governor for education. Ruiz is a former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, a former interim CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and a former president of the Chicago Park District board.

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