Pfizer and BioNtech to ask FDA to authorize COVID-19 booster for kids as young as five
CBSN
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to ask the Food and Drug Administration to clear a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as five, the companies announced Wednesday, citing trial results showing a "robust response" of antibodies in this age group after the booster shot.
In the trial, 140 children ages 5 to 11 years old were given a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine six months after receiving their second shot. Blood drawn from the children showed a six-fold increase in antibodies compared to the amount seen one month after the second dose, indicating "a strong immune response in this age group," the companies said.
A subset of antibodies from the children in the trial were also tested against the Omicron variant. Those 30 samples had a strong enough antibody response to neutralize the variant, with a "robust response" regardless of whether the children had previously survived a case of COVID-19, the companies said.
Washington — Former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is meeting with senators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he seeks to shore up support for his nomination for attorney general amid calls for the House Ethics Committee to release a report on allegations he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.