A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee will be meeting Tuesday to vote on whether to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5-11.
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will convene at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday -- watch here:
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The committee will meet in open session to discuss a request to amend Pfizer-BioNTech’s emergency use authorization (EUA) for administration of their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to children 5 through 11 years of age.
Pfizer requested EUA for its COVID vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 earlier this month. Pfizer tested the vaccine in 2,268 children, giving two shots 21 days apart. The dose was 1/3 the dose given to those 12 and older.
The Biden administration has purchased enough kid-size doses — in special orange-capped vials to distinguish them from adult vaccine — for the nation’s 5- to 11-year-olds. If the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses will be promptly shipped around the country, along with kid-size needles.
More than 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers already have signed up to get the shots into little arms.
Read more: FDA says Pfizer COVID vaccine looks effective for young kids