FDA Expected To OK Pfizer Vaccine For Ages 12-15 Soon

According to a federal official, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for youth 12 to 15 by next week. This is good news in terms of getting shots for many before the next school year begins.

From a report by Western Mass News, this news is set to come approximately a month after Pfizer found its shot, which is already authorized for those 16 and older, also provided protection for the younger group.

Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization for its coronavirus vaccine for teens and children ages 12 to 15. The FDA is currently reviewing data to support the extended use. According to Pfizer, a clinical trial held at the end of March involving over 2,000 12-to-15-year-olds, showed its efficacy is 100%.

While younger people are at dramatically lower risk of serious side effects from COVID-19, they have made up a larger share of new virus cases as a majority of U.S. adults have been at least partially vaccinated. Also, higher-risk activities such as contact sports have resumed in many parts of the country.

Officials hope that extending the vaccinations to teens will continue the decline of virus caseloads and allow schools to reopen this fall with minimal risk.

Shots could begin for 12-to-15-year-olds as soon as the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention adopts the committee's recommendation. That should happen within a matter of days.

For more on the story(much more!), check out Western Mass News' website here.