FDA advisers review Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids

U.S. health advisers are deliberating whether kid-size doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine are safe and effective in young children

WASHINGTON -- Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may be getting closer as government advisers on Tuesday began deliberating whether there’s enough evidence that the shots are safe and effective for 5- to 11-year-olds.

A study of elementary schoolchildren found the Pfizer shots are nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infection -- even though the youngsters received just a third of the dose given to teens and adults.

In a preliminary analysis last week, Food and Drug Administration reviewers said that protection would “clearly outweigh” the risk of a very rare side effect in almost all scenarios of the pandemic. Now FDA’s advisers are combing through that data to see if they agree.

If the FDA authorizes the kid-size doses, there’s still another step: Next week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.