FDA issues 'transformative' authorization of Pfizer's COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11
The Food and Drug Administration moved to give Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization for American children ages 5 to 11. The Friday decision, which was expected, was heralded as a "watershed moment," "transformative news" for parents, and a "hotly anticipated" milestone in the effort to end the pandemic.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine got the green light from the FDA, and now just needs to be recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That recommendation may come shortly after a Nov. 2 CDC committee meeting.
Roughly 28 million American children will be allowed to be vaccinated once the authorization is finalized, though The Washington Post notes that officials are expecting some level of hesitation from parents who may prefer to wait for full FDA approval or agree with some advisory panelists who argued not all children need the vaccine, because the risk of COVID-19 complications is lower in most kids. However, polling has showed most parents will welcome the vaccine for their children. Stat News notes the Pfizer vaccine was found to be almost 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in kids ages 5 to 11, and didn't cause any serious complications.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy," said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock. "Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine's safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards."
If and when CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signs off on emergency authorization for the age group next week, providers will be able to begin administering shots same-day.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Why is Tesla stumbling?
In the Spotlight More competition, confusion about the future and a giant pay package for Elon Musk
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How Taylor Swift changed copyright negotiations in music
under the radar The success of Taylor's Version rerecordings has put new pressure on record labels
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Job scams are increasingly common. Here's what to look out for.
The Explainer You should never pay for an application or give out your personal info before being hired
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
Excess screen time is making children only see what is in front of them
Under the radar The future is looking blurry. And very nearsighted.
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Covid-19: what to know about UK's new Juno and Pirola variants
in depth Rapidly spreading new JN.1 strain is 'yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over'
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Long-term respiratory illness is here to stay
The Explainer Covid is not the only disease with a long version
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published