The FDA panel has voted 17 to 0 to approve the Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds.  One of the FDA Panelists, Dr. Ruben, outlined his support by saying We’re never gonna learn about how safe the vaccine is until we start giving it. That’s the way it goes.” 

Another panelist noted that 700 young people under the age of 18 have died ‘with‘ COVID, or COVID related symptoms in the past two years.  With the full support of the FDA panel, the large scale rollout of the vaccine in young children will now head to the CDC for final approvals. 

WASHINGTON DC – Vaccine advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted 17-0 with one abstention Tuesday to recommend Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11.

Members of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee agreed that the benefits of vaccinating younger children appeared to outweigh the risks, but some members appeared troubled about voting to vaccinate a large population of younger children based on studies of a few thousand.

“It is reassuring to me that we are giving a lower dose,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Pfizer has cut its vaccine to one-third of the adult dose for the children under 12.

“I am just worried that if we say yes, then the states are going to mandate administration of this vaccine for children to go to school and I do not agree with that,” said Dr. Cody Meissner, a professor of pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. “I think that would be an error at this time.” (read more)

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