Claim that the first COVID-19 vaccine that was approved by the FDA is somehow different than the "Pfizer vaccine" currently available is misleading

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine, which has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, will now be marketed as Comirnaty. Despite the validity of this approval process, many people are still unconvinced that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe. In the podcast and video show “War Room” hosted by Steve Bannon, Dr. Robert Malone, a scientist who claims he invented mRNA technology, claimed that the "mainstream media is lying" and suggested that the vaccine that was approved by the FDA is somehow different than the "Pfizer vaccine" currently available under emergency use authorization. Malone said that the FDA only approved the "BioNTech" vaccine and that vaccine is different from the "Pfizer" one. He's reiterated this point on Twitter. "I should clarify my title - the FDA authorization is for the BioNtech product (Comirnaty), NOT Pfizer." We rate this claim as very misleading. The F.D.A. announcement clearly states that the "Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine" has been approved. The approval does not distinguish a separate vaccine other than the one developed by the joint partnership of Pfizer and BioNtech. The vaccine approved is the same formula as the one that's been shown to be safe for adults and has been taken by millions under the EUA. The only difference is that the approved vaccine will be marketed as the brand "Comirnaty." Pfizer has stated, "The FDA-approved COMIRNATY (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) and the EUA-authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine have the same formulation and can be used interchangeably to provide the COVID-19 vaccination series."

As far as the EUA goes, the FDA has announced that "the vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals."