LOS ANGELES, May 18 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday granted emergency use authorisation for a booster dose 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 on Tuesday means anyone aged 5 and older are 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
