FDA approves Pfizer booster for children

NEW YORK: The US Food and Drug Administration authorised booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children this week as Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in the US.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices could recommend making boosters available for some portion of that age group, but may stop short of saying all children should get the extra shot, experts said.

The companies submitted data to the FDA that showed a third dose of their vaccine generated a strong immune response against the Omicron variant in healthy children aged 5-11. Severe disease is quite rare in the age group, especially for those who have received two shots.