Pfizer applies for EUA for COVID vax in kids as young as 5

Pfizer connected Thursday formally applied for exigency usage authorization with the Food and Drug Administration for a smaller dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for usage successful children aged betwixt 5 and 11.

Thursday's announcement was expected, arsenic conscionable implicit a week ago, the institution submitted Phase 2/3 proceedings information to the FDA that showed children developed virus-fighting antibodies astir arsenic good arsenic adults who received 2 emblematic shots of the vaccine.

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention volition proceed to reappraisal Pfizer's data. The shots volition yet request support from the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and the CDC's Advisory Committee connected Immunization Practices, arsenic good arsenic some agencies arsenic a full earlier exigency usage authorization is approved.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine already has afloat support for radical aged 16 and up — the lone vaccine frankincense acold to person afloat support successful the U.S. The vaccine is presently approved for exigency usage authorization for radical aged betwixt 12 and 15.

Pfizer said past week that it planned to merchandise information connected studies of its COVID-19 vaccine successful young children and babies by the extremity of 2021.