emergency use authorization
noun
variants
or less commonly Emergency Use Authorization
plural emergency use authorizations also Emergency Use Authorizations
: an authorization granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a public health emergency that allows for the use of a drug or other medical product prior to its full approval
Under section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), when the Secretary of HHS declares that an emergency use authorization is appropriate, FDA may authorize unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products to be used in an emergency …—
fda.gov
fda.govEspecially during a shortage, much of the red tape needs to be cut away, much as formal review processes for new vaccines and drugs gave way to Emergency Use Authorizations during the pandemic.—Marc Siegel
Marc SiegelThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer booster for this age group …—Aidin Vaziri
Aidin Vaziricalled also EUA
Examples of emergency use authorization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The most recent round of booster shots was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 27 but with new restrictions, including the removal of emergency use authorizations left over from the Biden administration.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
In 2025, federal officials ended some vaccine access policies, including the emergency use authorization.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Then, emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines were rescinded, which means Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, is no longer authorized for children younger than 5.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Pfizer has confirmed the FDA may not renew the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emergency use authorization
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Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
In 2025, federal officials ended some vaccine access policies, including the emergency use authorization.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025
Then, emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines were rescinded, which means Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, is no longer authorized for children younger than 5.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
Pfizer has confirmed the FDA may not renew the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emergency use authorization
Cite this Entry
“Emergency use authorization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emergency%20use%20authorization. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
emergency use authorization
noun
variants
also Emergency Use Authorization
: an authorization granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during a public health emergency that allows for the use of a drug or medical product prior to its full approval
During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization of IV neuraminidase inhibitors for hospitalized patients with influenza, creating a need for rapid decision analyses to help guide use.—Bruce Y. Lee et al., The American Journal of Managed Care
Bruce Y. Lee et al., The American Journal of Managed CareBased on these initial findings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the emergency use of remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.—Richard T. Eastman et al., American Chemical Society Central Science
Richard T. Eastman et al., American Chemical Society Central Sciencecalled also EUA
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