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
From the Left
FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids
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...
From the Right
FDA Authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 for Emergency Use in Children Aged 5 to 11
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...
From the Left
FDA authorizes Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 
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
April 25th, 2024
April 25th, 2024
April 25th, 2024
More News about Coronavirus from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
