BOOSTED

FDA Authorizes Pfizer Booster Shots for Children Between 5 and 11

Pfizer said its clinical trial data showed that booster shots produced a strong immune response in the age group.

The FDA authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Of the 28 million American children in that age group, more than 8 million have gotten two vaccine doses and are now eligible for a third one after five months. Many parents of children in the age group, however, have been reluctant to vaccinate their kids at all, as just 29 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds have gotten two vaccine doses. In a news release, Pfizer said its clinical trial data demonstrated that booster shots produced strong immune responses among children in the age group. The FDA commissioner said in a statement that while COVID-19 is typically less severe in children, “the Omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer-term effects, even following initially mild illness.”