U.S. plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years later this month

U.S. plans to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under 5 years in February The U.S. government is planning to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under the age of 5 as soon as Feb. 21, according to a document from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reuters Reuters

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. government is planning to roll out COVID-19 shots for children under the age of 5 as soon as Feb. 21, according to a document from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering authorizing the use of the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) vaccine in the age group even though it did not meet a key target in a clinical trial of two- to four-year-olds.

The drugmakers said they submitted data supporting authorization at the request of the FDA in order to address an urgent public health need in the age group. read more

Outside advisers to the FDA are scheduled to meet on Feb. 15 to discuss whether to recommend the regulator to authorize the vaccine. The roll out of the vaccine for children under the age of 5, the only age group not yet eligible for the shots, is set to begin less than a week after the meeting. ...