Pfizer COVID Vaccine Safe and Effective for Under 5- FDA
-
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on Sunday, declared the Pfizer COVID vaccine to be safe and effective for kids between 6 months and 4 years.
-
The vaccine showed an 80% efficacy against the Omicron variant in kids below the age of 5.
-
The United States will begin vaccination for young children from June 21, this month.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers announced on Sunday that it has marked the Pfizer COVID vaccine as safe for children between 6 months and 4 years.
The announcement was contained in briefing documents published on Sunday evening. The documents showed that the evaluation did not reveal any new safety concerns related to the use of the vaccine in young children.
The FDA analysis of data from Pfizer’s trial was published ahead of its meeting with advisers from outside on June 15. Recommendations from external advisers will determine the FDA’s final decision on the vaccines.
An FDA official said:
“Available data support the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine 3-dose primary series in preventing COVID-19 in the age group of 6 months through 4 years,”
An early analysis of data from Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine on children with Omicron coronavirus variant showed that the vaccine is 80% effective.
COVID-19 vaccine shots for children under the age of 6 are yet to be approved in several countries globally, including Nigeria.
Read also: MonkeyPox on the Rise as Nigeria Records 10 Cases in 1 Week
The Joe Biden government wants vaccination for young children to begin as soon as June 21 if the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control approve the Pfizer COVID vaccine.
The FDA also recently released a review of the Moderna vaccine, confirming its safety in kids between 6 months and 17.
