Covid19 – U.S. fully approves Pfizer’s vaccine for children aged 5-11
U.S. health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign to children as young as 5. The CDC said the vaccination of children could begin “as soon as possible”.
Pfizer’s paediatric vaccine was nearly 91% effective in preventing Covid-19 among children aged 5-11 years in clinical trials, same as for the vaccine fro adults and adolescents. Vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting, and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children, CDC said. The most common side effect was a sore arm.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said the child vaccine “will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others”.
