FDA greenlights Pfizer vaccine for kids

The agency formally authorized emergency use for Pfizer’s one-third strength COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Tuesday to consider the decision and is expected to give more detailed recommendations on which children should get vaccinated. Experts hope vaccinating children will keep schools open throughout the academic year and allow remote students to return to in-person learning. Pfizer is prepared to start shipping millions of doses in orange-capped vials to distinguish between full-strength doses.

Do kids need the vaccine? CDC data reviewed by FDA panelists showed that young children are just as likely as adults to contract COVID-19, but serious infection is rare. Pfizer reported its dose is nearly 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic infection in kids. According to the FDA, 8,300 children between 5 and 11 have been hospitalized for coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. Roughly one-third of them needed intensive care. At least 2,000 schools have closed since the start of the academic year due to coronavirus infections.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about California’s vaccine mandate for schoolchildren.