29 minutes agoFDA approves Pfizer's strengthening dose of 12-year-old children
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Food and Bars Administration, The FDA approved today the third, reinforcement dose of Pfizer vaccine for children at age 12 as the country faces a high increase in cases with Omitron. So far the strengthening dose was recommended for the ages of 16 and older. The approval, which comes as students resume school after vacation, is not [...]
So far the strengthening dose was recommended for the ages of 16 and older.
The approval, which comes as students resume school after vacation, is not the final step. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must give their approval before the use of a third dose in 12-year-old children begins.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said the decision is expected to be made this week.
The FDA also said that all 12-year-old and older children who qualify for a strengthening dose could get it five months after the last dose, instead of six months.
Vaccines still offer strong protection against serious diseases from any kind of COVID-19. But health authorities are urging all who qualify to take the strengthening dose, as it offers the best chance to avoid the most severe infections from the highly contagious option Omicron.
Children usually get over COVID-19 more easily than adults. But their hospital stays are growing during the Omikron wave, most of them unexplored.
The vaccine produced by Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, is the only option in the US for children of any age. According to CDC, about 13.5 million children between the ages of 12 and 17 have received two doses of Pfizer vaccines.
The Pfizer company, meanwhile, is studying a form of vaccine with smaller doses for children under five years of age.
