Panel recommends Pfizer vaccine for kids

Some members and attendees at the Food and Drug Administration meeting on Tuesday were still hesitant about approving a vaccine for 28 million eligible children based on a small Pfizer study of a couple thousand. The independent group of experts voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the benefits of Pfizer’s one-third strength vaccine outweigh the risks for children ages 5 through 11. At a panel meeting, company officials said the smaller dose is safe and 91 percent effective at preventing hospitalization from COVID-19 infection.

What happens next? The panel will forward its vote to the FDA, which is expected to consider the decision within the next few days. If it grants emergency authorization for the pediatric vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will then vote on whether to distribute it. Severe cases of COVID-19 in children are rare. Out of about 738,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths, the CDC estimates about 635 were of children ages 0 to 18.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about how the White House is preparing to distribute vaccines to kids.