The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s scientific advisers will meet on Thursday to debate whether a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should be recommended for children 5 to 11 years old.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized the booster shot for this age group on Tuesday. CDC advisors are also expected to confirm the warnings. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, is expected to quickly sign off on the recommendation.
Additional doses may enhance immunity to existing Omicron variants in these children. Studies have shown that two doses of the vaccine have virtually no barrier against infection with the Omicron variant in children 5 to 11 years of age, although protection against severe disease remains strong. .
In adolescents 12 to 17 years of age, two doses of the drug were not protective even during hospitalization, but a booster shot significantly improved immunity.
Pfizer and BioNTech reported Tuesday that in children aged 5 to 11, the third dose produced antibodies against both the Omicron variant and the original version of the coronavirus. In a clinical trial, children were given 10 micrograms of the vaccine – a third of the dose for adolescents and adults – in each shot.
The companies reported that as with the first two doses, the booster shot appeared to be safe. Commonly reported side effects were pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, as well as soreness, chills, and fever.
Less than one-third of children aged 5 to 11 years in the United States have received two doses. Many parents have hesitated to vaccinate their children, in part because they are at a much lower risk of serious illness than adults.
But a record number of children were hospitalized during the Omicron surgery this winter. And some studies suggest that even children with mild illness can experience symptoms for months.
