FDA approves Pfizer jabs for children over 5

FDA panel approves Pfizer jabs for children 5 and up

by Amani Nilar 27-10-2021 | 11:24 AM

(News 1st); Advisory boards to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday (26) decided that the benefits of jabbing children between five and 11 years old with the Pfizer vaccine outweigh any other health risks. Therefore, pediatric doctors could soon find themselves on the front lines of a U.S. Government plan to get some 28 million school-aged children in line for their coronavirus jabs. The decision now awaits further approval from the full FDA and CDC. Both agencies are expected to follow the vaccine panel's recommendation. Data from the company's clinical trials found that a pediatric dose of the vaccine - one third of that given to adults and adolescents - was safe and 90% effective. If health officials approve the jab, 15 million doses will go out to pediatric offices, children's hospitals and pharmacies around the U.S.

Following the FDA independent advisory committee's green light on Tuesday, the CDC is expected to follow suit on 2 November, meaning jabs for five-year-olds could begin as soon as a day later.

The Pfizer vaccine is already approved for American adults and adolescents, but it has not yet been fully approved for most school-aged children.

Among those between five and 11 years old, there have been about 1.8 million COVID-19 cases confirmed in the U.S., according to the CDC. Fewer than two hundred have died, and most of those had underlying medical conditions.

Some medical experts say that, given the persistence of the Delta variant and the return to in-person schooling, vaccinating children is a crucial next step in fighting the pandemic.