The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 29 paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer. COVID-19 Vaccination.
The FDA approved kid-sized doses — just one-third of the amount given to teens and adults — for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccination as early as next week.
Another regulatory hurdle remains: On November 2, advisors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youth should get vaccinated, with a final decision by the agency’s director expected soon afterwards.
FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said, “The logic here is to protect your kids so they can get back to normal life.” “The tremendous cost of this epidemic is not only in the physical illness, it is also in the psychological, social development of the children”.
Some countries have started using other COVID-19 vaccines in children under the age of 12, including China, which has just started vaccination for children as young as 3 years old. But many people using the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech are watching the US decision, and European regulators are beginning to consider the companies child-sized doses.
With the FDA’s action, Pfizer plans to start shipping millions of vials of the children’s vaccine — in orange caps — to avoid mix-ups with purple-capped doses for all others — including doctors’ offices, pharmacies and pharmacies. at other vaccination sites. After the CDC issues its decision, eligible children will be given two shots spaced three weeks apart.
While children have a lower risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 than older people, children ages 5 to 11 are still severely affected – with more than 8,300 hospitalized, nearly a third. Intensive care is required. The FDA said there have been 146 deaths in that age group.
According to federal tracking, about 70% of 5- to 11-year-olds hospitalized for COVID-19 in the US have other serious medical conditions, including asthma and obesity. Additionally, more than two-thirds of young people hospitalized are black or Hispanic, reflecting long-standing disparities in the impact of the disease.
A similarly made Moderna vaccine is also being studied in young children, and both Pfizer and Moderna are testing shots for infants and preschoolers.
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