FDA Says Benefits Of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine Outweigh Risks In Children 5 To 11

Food and Drug Administration regulators shared a study on Friday that said the benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 “would clearly outweigh” any serious side effects. On the same day, the FDA posted data from Pfizer and BioNTech that showed their vaccine had a 90.7% efficacy rate in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections in a clinical trial of 5-to 11-year-olds. Both sets of data were released ahead of the agency's advisory board meeting on Tuesday, where members will vote on whether to approve the pediatric shot. If approved, the CDC will move forward with its own review — meaning the 28 million children in the 5-11 age group could become eligible for the Pfizer vaccine as early as the first week of November.

Coverage was mostly balanced across the spectrum, with most outlets linking back to the FDA's studies. Left-rated outlets were more likely to emphasize how "reluctance among parents of teenagers" dropped in the months since vaccines became available to 12-to 15-year olds, indicating that the trend could continue with parents that have children in the 5-11 age group. Right-rated outlets were more likely to highlight how the Biden administration "has already purchased enough kid-size doses" before getting the green light from the FDA and CDC.