The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to administer Pfizer vaccine boosters to children aged between 5 and 11, citing data collected in ongoing trials. The agency skipped an advisory board meeting typically held before such decisions, saying the matter had been covered during previous discussions.
The FDA announced the expanded booster eligibility on Wednesday, acknowledging that while “Covid-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults,” the virus’ Omicron variant has led to “more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized” and created the need for boosters among younger Americans.
“The FDA is authorizing the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age to provide continued protection,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said, adding that “Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent Covid-19 and its severe consequences, and it is…
