TOPLINE
Children between five and 11 will now be able to receive a Pfizer booster shot five months after receiving the primary two-dose round, following CDC director Rochelle Walensky’s endorsement of a panel recommendation two days after the Food and Drug Administration approved boosters for the age group, and as Covid cases are on the rise again in the U.S.
KEY FACTS
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted Thursday 11 to 1 to recommend signing off boosters and the committee’s recommendation was later made final by Walensky.
Walensky gave the greenlight for children ages 5 to 11 to receive an initial round of Pfizer vaccine shots in November, leaving a six-month gap for the first wave of children to receive a vaccine.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“Today, I endorsed ACIP’s vote to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. Children 5 through 11 should receive a booster dose at least 5 months after their primary series,” Walensky said Thursday. She said uptake of first and second shots among young children had fallen behind older groups, but added: “with over 18 million doses administered in this age group, we know that these vaccines are safe, and we must continue to increase the number of children who are protected.”
BIG NUMBER
8.1 million. That’s the number of children ages 5-11 who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some 9.9 million children in the same age group have received an initial dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The FDA’s advisory committee will review Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines in June to consider whether they should be authorized for kids under age 5. The 5-11-year-old age group is the youngest population approved to receive a Covid-19 vaccination.
FURTHER READING
CDC board votes in favor of recommending COVID-19 vaccine boosters for kids 5-11 (The Hill)
FDA Authorizes Pfizer Booster For Children Ages 5 To 11 — But CDC Must Still Approve (Forbes)
By Kalie Drago, Forbes Staff