FDA weighs risk of myocarditis in review of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11
CBSN
The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it concluded the "overall benefits" of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old "may still outweigh the risks," after the agency estimated that in most scenarios the vaccine could prevent more COVID-19 hospitalizations in younger children than cause a serious side effect linked to the shot.
The agency's analysis of Pfizer's vaccine was posted late Friday, ahead of a meeting of the FDA's outside vaccine experts who will be discussing next week whether the agency should grant emergency authorization to vaccinate younger children.
Some of the FDA and CDC's outside vaccine advisers have wrestled for months with the possibility that the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with the vaccine in children may exceed the COVID-19 risks diminished by the shots.
