FDA authorizes Pfizer Covid booster dose for kids ages 5 to 11 years old

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a third shot of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 at least five months after their two-dose primary series.

Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA division responsible for vaccines, said data increasingly shows that the protection provided by two shots wanes over time. The FDA determined that a third shot can help boost protection for children in this age group and the benefits outweigh the risks, Marks said.

The FDA decided to authorize a third shot after analyzing data from an ongoing Pfizer trial, in which a subset of 67 children in this age group had higher antibody levels one month after receiving a booster dose. The drug regulator did not identify any new safety concerns and found the children experienced the same mild side effects that other people do after receiving a booster. Those side effects include injection site swelling, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills and fever.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/17/fda-authorizes-pfizer-covid-booster-dose-for-kids-ages-5-to-11-years-old.html