With a final hurdle cleared, the Los Angeles Times reports that children in the US between the ages of 5 and 11 may begin to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations this week.
The US Food and Drug Administration last week issued an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2. Data from the companies has indicated that the vaccine — which is given in a smaller dose to younger children — was 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic infections. As the LA Times reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has further recommended the vaccine for children between 5 and 11 years old. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is already authorized for adolescents between 12 and 15 years old and approved for individuals 16 years old and older.
"We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky says in a statement.
The CDC further estimates that for every million children in this age group who are vaccinated, would prevent 58,000 COVID-19 cases and 226 hospitalizations, the New York Times adds.