Pfizer-BioNTech formally applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization of its two-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be used in children ages 5 to 11.
The FDA is slated to discuss the authorization during a Oct 26 meeting. If approved, the vaccine could be in the arms of American kids before the holidays.
The two-dose vaccine contains one-third of the vaccine amount used in adults. It could be a game-changer for kids who have had their school and social lives disrupted for almost 2 years as the nation has tackled the pandemic.
Though children rarely get seriously ill from COVID-19, they can get infected, transmit the virus, and suffer long-COVID symptoms post-infection. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, almost 6 million US kids have gotten sick with COVID-19 since March 2020, and pediatric cases have risen as the Delta (B1617.2) variant has become the dominant strain in the United States.
Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for use in Americans ages 12 to 17. The vaccine has been deemed safe in that age group, but like the Moderna vaccine, has been linked to myocarditis in adolescent boys.
Safety side effects and antibody levels—not hospitalization and death rates—will be the focus as the FDA considers authorizing the Pfizer vaccine for young children.
Biden touts vaccine mandates
Today, President Joe Biden visited Chicago and spoke of the importance of vaccine mandates in the ongoing fight against the pandemic. Chicago is home to United Airlines—the first US airline to require employee immunizations.
Cases continue to fall in the United States, but so does the number of Americans getting their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
"I've tried everything in my power to get people vaccinated, but we still have more than a quarter of the people in the United States who are eligible for vaccinations and didn’t get the shot," said Biden. "That's why I’ve had to move towards requirements."
Biden has authorized the Labor Department to require vaccines for all businesses with more than 100 employees, as well as mandating vaccines for federal employees, contractors, and active-duty military personnel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker shows that 56.2% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 65.1% have received at least one dose, and 3.6% of fully vaccinated people have received a booster.
An average of 384,963 booster doses are being given daily, compared with 281,303 first doses and 292,927 second shots, according to a CNN analysis of CDC data.
The United States recorded 111,503 new COVID-19 cases yesterday and 2,556 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker.
LA to require proof of vaccination
Los Angeles leaders yesterday approved one of the nation's strictest vaccine mandates, the Associated Press reports. The ordinance, which takes effect Nov 4, requires people to be fully vaccinated to enter indoor public spaces or have a negative coronavirus test if they have religious or medical exemptions for vaccination.
"Vaccinating more Angelenos is our only way out of this pandemic, and we must do everything in our power to keep pushing those numbers up," Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. "These new rules will encourage more people to get the shot, and make businesses safer for workers and customers—so that we can save more lives."
Los Angeles joins New York City and San Francisco in requiring vaccination proof in most indoor venues.
