Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Receives FDA Approval For Kids Five To 11 Years Old
Image ID 209102631 © via Rimidolove | Dreamstime.com
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would be allowing citizens to “mix and match” COVID-19 booster shots, validating the choice to receive a different vaccine brand from the initial two jabs.
Now, an independent panel of advisers has recommended that the FDA authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for children aged five to 11, which will allow even more of the population to be protected against COVID-19.
In September, the pharmaceutical giant submitted its initial findings on children within that age group, having tested the response of 2,268 individuals to the vaccine. It reported the kids showed “robust neutralizing antibody responses,” and that the shot displayed a “favorable safety profile.”
Following this, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee hosted a meeting to decide if Pfizer’s jab gets the go-ahead for use in young children, in which it ultimately decided to recommend the vaccine.
During the talk, the panel considered numerous factors, such as the risk of heart inflammation, the current trajectory of COVID-19 cases in the US, and the risk children face from the virus. It was also discussed if kids should receive one or two doses of the vaccine.
However, according to SlashGear, this doesn’t mean the vaccine will now be available for children. It’s essentially one step in the long journey for the FDA to fully approve Pfizer’s jab for emergency use. Only when an official update is made, will children become eligible to receive the shot.
It’s great to see discussions progressing in the right direction, and hopefully, sooner rather than later, children will be able to be protected against COVID-19 as well.
[via SlashGear, cover image via Rimidolove | Dreamstime.com]
Also check out these recent news
