FDA Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The vaccine was approved as a two-dose series at a lower dose (10 micrograms) than what is authorized for individuals ages 12 and older. The FDA’s approval followed the recommendations from the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which voted in favor of recommending that the FDA issue an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old.

With the FDA’s approval, parents of children 5-11 now await guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention regarding access to the vaccine; that guidance could be issued as soon as today.