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LOS ANGELES – The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday granted emergency use authorisation for booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years at least five months after completion of the primary vaccine series.
On January 3, the FDA authorised the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds after completion of primary vaccination.
The FDA’s decision means anyone aged 5 and older is now eligible for at least one booster dose.
“While it has largely been the case that Covid-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the Omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalised, and children may also experience longer-term effects, even following initially mild disease,” said FDA commissioner Robert Califf in a statement.
“The FDA is authorising the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age to provide continued protection against Covid-19,” he said. – Bernama, May 18, 2022
