FDA advisory panel backs Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11

An independent panel advising the FDA voted Tuesday in favor of authorizing Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids ages 5-11, NPR reports.

The advisory committee found the shot's benefits to outweigh its risks, and voted 17-0 (with one abstention) in favor of its recommendation, writes The Washington Post. The FDA is subsequently expected to issue a final authorization decision within the next few days. The agency typically moves in tandem with its expert panels, though it isn't required to do so, per NPR.

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Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.