The United States has Approved the Pfizer Vaccine for Children Aged 5 to 11 Years.

The US health authorities have approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine by BioNTech / Pfizer for children between 5 and 11 years of age. The first doses may be given on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The United States is the first Western country to allow vaccination of children at an early age. This is already being done by the authorities in China, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates with other preparations.

The decision was made unanimously by the health advisers of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to them, the benefits of vaccinating children far outweigh the risks.

As early as Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11. The dose for this group is 10 micrograms, three times lower than the original 30 micrograms, reminds Reuters.

"We know that millions of parents are eager to vaccinate their children, and with this decision, we now recommend that about 28 million children be vaccinated against COVID-19," said Rochelle Valenski, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She noted that children's hospitalizations had increased in the latest wave of the pandemic due to the "Delta" variant of the virus.

US President Joe Biden described the decision as a turning point in the fight against COVID-19.

Pfizer and Biontech reported that their vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy in clinical trials in children aged 5 to 11 years.

About 58% of Americans are fully vaccinated and 47% of children between the ages of 12 and 15.

/Dnevnik