US FDA Approves COVID-19 Booster Shot for Children Aged 5 to 11

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the 17th (local time) approved the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for children aged 5 to 11.

According to The New York Times (NYT), out of 28 million children in this age group in the U.S., about 8 million have received two doses of the vaccine, and booster shots can be administered five months after the second dose.

Following the FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also likely to hold a meeting of its advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), on the 19th to recommend additional vaccinations.

Once the CDC approval process is completed, all Americans aged 5 and older will be eligible to receive booster shots. However, the vaccination rate among children is not high. It is estimated that only 29% of children aged 5 to 11 have received two doses of the vaccine.

Robert Califf, FDA Commissioner, stated, "COVID-19 is less severe in children than in adults," but emphasized the need for vaccines and booster shots, saying, "More children became ill and were hospitalized during the Omicron surge."

Some experts argue that booster shots are necessary, noting that children aged 5 to 11 received much smaller doses than adults. According to a study conducted in New York, the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine in preventing infection among children aged 5 to 11 dropped from 68% after the second dose to 12% after 4 to 5 weeks.