Headline Roundup • October 29th, 2021
FDA Endorses Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Ages 5-11
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization Friday for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S for young kids.
An FDA advisory panel voted 17-0 with one abstention Tuesday to recommend the vaccine for kids; it is roughly one-third the dose of the vaccine used for people ages 12 and up. Before the shots are made available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must sign off on them. A CDC advisory panel is meeting to discuss the shots next week, and CDC director Rochelle Walesnky is expected to offer final approval soon after.
The news was covered across the spectrum Friday, but highlighted more prominently by left- and center-rated outlets. Coverage from right-rated sources often quoted experts who criticized the FDA's decision, and some highlighted a September news release from the FDA that detailed "serious risks" of heart inflammation for teenage males who received the Pfizer vaccine. Some reports from left-rated outlets framed the decision as good news, and highlighted praise of the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Featured Coverage of this Story
AP file
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA cleared kid-size doses — just a third of the amount given to teens and adults — for emergency use, and up to 28 million more American children could be eligible for vaccinations as early as next week.
One more regulatory hurdle remains: On Tuesday, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a final...
(Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday issued an emergency authorization to use Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 through 11, coming days after an advisory panel recommended it.
But before the shots can be distributed across the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must first sign off on the move.
“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a...
CNN Digital
The US Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization on Friday for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the United States for younger children.
The FDA's vaccine advisers voted 17-0 with one abstention on Tuesday to recommend EUA for the vaccine, which is formulated at one-third the dose of the vaccine used for people 12 and older.
Pfizer says a clinical trial showed its vaccine provides more than 90% protection against symptomatic disease among children, even at one-third the dose, and...
AllSides Picks
Blog
Mass Kidnappings, Covid Contingencies, ICE Controversies: Stories You May Have Missed
Malayna J. Bizier
June 18th, 2026
Red Blue Translator
Anti-vaxxer
Headline Roundup
Trump's Income Topped $2 Billion in 2025, Led by $1.2 Billion in Crypto Earnings
July 2nd, 2026
Blog
Left and Center Media Quiet on DOJ’s Reported Investigation of Top Left-Wing Activist
Andy Gorel
July 1st, 2026
