U.S. FDA authorizes first COVID-19 shot for young kids

U.S. FDA authorizes first COVID-19 shot for young kids The U.S. health regulator on Friday authorized the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, making it the first COVID-19 shot for young children in the United States. Reuters Reuters

Oct 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. health regulator on Friday authorized the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, making it the first COVID-19 shot for young children in the United States.

Pfizer said that it would begin shipping pediatric vials of vaccine to pharmacies on Saturday. The decision by the regulator is expected to make the shot available to 28 million American children, many of whom are back in school for in-person learning.

It comes after a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted overwhelmingly to recommend the authorization on Tuesday.

Only a few other countries, including China, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates, have so far cleared COVID-19 vaccines for children in this age group and younger.

The FDA authorized a 10-microgram dose of Pfizer's vaccine in young children, lower than the 30 micrograms in the original vaccine for those age 12 and older.

Advisers on the FDA panel said a lower dose could help mitigate some of the rare side effects. ...

An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scheduled to meet next week to consider recommendations on how the vaccine should be used in that age group. The CDC director will have the final say.

Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children aged 5 to 11. read more  

...

ALSO SEE: Kids could begin getting shots at some point next week and become fully vaccinated by December.