Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Tuesday that they were seeking the FDA to approve the usage of the first COVID-19 vaccine on children between the ages of 6 months-5 years old. Both companies announced that they have started submitting data to the FDA regarding clinical research in Europe involving the possibility of distributing the vaccine to 6mo-5years old. The FDA announced that they will hold a meeting on February 15, 2022, to discuss the submission. Scientists and doctors say that, “safety and effectiveness are key.” They also go on to say that in order for the American public to be confident with distributing the vaccine to their babies and toddlers, it needs to be something that all the scientists and doctors would be comfortable recommending to their children.
There are clinical trials going on right now to see the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine in young children. Studies show that the vaccine was effective in children ages 6 months-2 years old but not efficient between the ages of 2 to 4 years old. Researchers are running tests and such to see why the vaccine isn’t effective in ages two to four years old. The FDA gave emergency approval for kids ages 5 to 15 to get the vaccine.
The reason for this research is being brought up now is because of omicron, cases are skyrocketing not only with adults but, they are being seen a lot more in young children. So to help alieve that, scientists are testing out what would be the safest and the most effective way to distribute the vaccine amongst children. With the current research we have now, it’s shown that if we distribute the vaccine at a 3 microgram dose rather than a 10 microgram dose that the 5-11 years old take, it might be safer and more effective for the young children. More tests and trials are being run to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these doses.
This blog post is part of the CIMA law group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA law group specializes in Immigration law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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