Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Final CDC Decision On Pfizer Vaccine For Younger Kids Expected This Week
The New York Times: FDA Clears Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine For Young Children
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in children 5 to 11, a move eagerly anticipated by millions of families looking to protect some of the only remaining Americans left out of the vaccination campaign. About 28 million children in the group will be eligible to receive one-third of the adult dose, with two injections three weeks apart. If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off, as is expected, they could start getting shots as early as Wednesday. (Weiland and LaFraniere, 10/29)
Stat: FDA Authorizes Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine For Children Aged 5 To 11
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine for children 5 to 11 should be given as two doses three weeks apart, just like the version for older children and adults, but uses a lower 10-microgram dose, one-third the adult dose. (Herper, 10/29)
In related news —
Houston Chronicle: Texas Children's Taking Appointments For Kids' COVID Vaccines With Emergency Authorization Imminent
Texas Children’s Hospital is now scheduling appointments to administer a Pfizer COVID-19 shot for children ages 5 to 11 years old, in anticipation of federal health agencies giving emergency authorization next week. Right now, appointments for Nov. 6 through Nov. 20 at campuses across the Houston area can be scheduled on the hospital’s website. Additional appointments also will be offered within 24 hours of emergency use authorization, which is expected to be finalized Tuesday, said Jermaine Monroe, co-chair of the Texas Children’s Hospital COVID vaccine task force. After the Food and Drug Administration issues the emergency use authorization, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel will meet to discuss any possible restrictions for the shot. The vaccine can be administered once CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signs off on the authorization. (Gill, 10/29)
NPR: Parents Should Be Patient About Getting COVID Vaccines For Kids
Within minutes of the Food and Drug Administration's decision Friday to authorize the lower-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, teams began packing up the vaccines to be shipped. The vials are being packed with syringes, dry ice and tracking labels and are being loaded into shipping containers that were specially designed for the pediatric vaccine. But a top White House official is cautioning that parents shouldn't expect to be able to get their kids vaccinated the very next day if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine, as it is expected to on Tuesday. Patience may be needed, as it could take several days before shots are readily available. (Keith, 10/30)
AP: Arizona Doctors Emphasize COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe For Kids
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children and presents the best way to get past the inconveniences brought by the pandemic, Arizona doctors said as they look to reassure parents ahead of anticipated approval by the federal government. While most children who contract COVID-19 get only minor symptoms, doctors said some experience major complications, and the risk of severe disease is higher than the remote risk of serious vaccine side effects. With billions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered globally and extensive clinical trials in young people in the United States, the vaccine’s safety is clear, the doctors said. (Cooper, 10/31)
