Children aged 5 to 11 will be able to receive a booster dose of vaccine against covid-19 from the Pfizer lab, American health officials said today.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a booster dose for this age group “to provide continued protection against Covid-19,” the agency said in a statement.
A committee of experts from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) will meet today to discuss the issue and determine the booster dose recommendation that should be administered at least five months after the first two series of injections.
The dose used is 10 micrograms for both initial immunizations and extra doses (compared to 30 micrograms for those over 12 years of age).
The FDA authorization comes at a time when the United States is recording an increase in Covid infections, with nearly 90,000 reported cases per day. Hospitalizations have also increased.
In a statement, FDA chief Robert Califf said that Covid-19 “tends to be less severe in children than in adults.” But “the wave due to the ômicron variant made children sicker, caused more hospitalizations, and left babies with long-term sequelae,” he warned.
There are 28 million children ages 5 to 11 in the United States.
Americans over 50 are now ready for a second booster dose (fourth dose overall).
source: Noticias
