The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared Sunday that child-size doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccination seem safe and effective for children under five years old.
The FDA released its evaluation of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for children ahead of a conference on Wednesday where independent experts will vote on whether the vaccines are safe for the country's 18 million infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available in the United States for those under five.
Vaccinations could begin as soon as next week if authorities approve one or both companies' jabs, with pharmaceuticals prepared to immediately deliver doses needed by the government, as per a report from PBS.
Parents have been appealing to federal officials for months to allow them to protect their children as more adults ditch masks and other public health restrictions.
Critical Measure To Protect Young Children
Health experts believe it is critical to protect children six months to 4 years old due to higher hospitalization and death rates in this age group than older kids, though they only comprise 3% of COVID-19 cases in the US.
Despite being tested during the omicron wave, Moderna's two-dose series was only approximately 40% to 50% effective at preventing milder infections. Moderna is currently testing a booster for children.
Following Wednesday's all-day meeting, the FDA is anticipated to announce an official decision. The next stage will be for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which makes vaccine recommendations, to convene its expert committee to discuss which children require immunization.
It's unclear how high the demand for the shots will be at first. According to a recent survey, only 1 in 5 parents of young children would immediately get their children vaccinated. Vaccines for older US schoolchildren have been available since November, but government records show that only about a third of those aged 5 to 11 have received the two recommended shots.
Pfizer and Moderna offer varying doses and quantities of shots for the youngest children, ranging from 6 months to 4 years for Pfizer and five years for Moderna.
Pfizer and BioNTech will administer two shots three weeks apart, followed by a third shot at least two months later - each one-tenth the dose given to adults. Pfizer is now the sole manufacturer that offers a COVID-19 vaccine for older children in the United States.
Moderna Seeking FDA's Go Signal For Its Jab For Kids
Moderna is seeking FDA approval for two shots, each containing a fraction of the adult dose and given four weeks intervals, per an AP report.
Moderna's vaccine is currently only approved for use in adults by the FDA. However, other countries allow full-size doses for teenagers and half-size doses for children aged 6 to 11, which the FDA is also reviewing for COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects.
According to US health experts, more than 30,000 children under the age of five have been hospitalized with the virus, and almost 500 COVID-19 deaths have been documented in the same age group.
Last Monday, according to Fox Business, the federal government gave pharmacies and states permission to begin placing orders for immunizations for young children. Initially, there are 5 million doses available, with each firm manufacturing 50% of them.
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