US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday signed off on the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 just hours after an agency panel OK’d the shot — paving the way for an estimated 28 million young kids to begin getting their jabs as soon as this week.

The final approval comes after a panel of doctors and public-health experts forming the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the move. The FDA had already cleared the immunization for emergency use in the age group Friday.

“If I had a grandchild. I would certainly get that grandchild vaccinated as soon as possible,” CDC panel member Dr. Beth Bell said in voting for the kiddie vax Tuesday. “And I think many people share that perspective.”

Panelist Dr. Sarah Long, a pediatrics professor at Drexel University College of Medicine, said she was “very supportive” of giving the vaccine to young children, too.