None of the 2,200 kids who received the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine last June in the clinical trials have experienced serious side effects, including myocarditis.
Though there was some debate at the FDA advisory meeting about the potential side effects for children 5-11 - particularly because myocarditis, a condition involving inflammation of the heart, has been linked to the vaccine in teenage boys and young men - the panel nearly unanimously voted in favor of the vaccine, deciding that the risk was worth the benefit. The White House purchased enough shots for all 28 million 5-11 year olds and on Thursday announced plans to purchase another 50 million shots by April 30, 2022, which could also be used for children under 5, if and when there is authorization for that age group. "The bottom line is that we will be ready immediately following FDA and CDC decisions so that parents can get their kids vaccinated quickly, easily and conveniently," White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said at a briefing with reporters on Thursday. Vaccine sites will have to wait for the CDC's word to begin administering the vaccine, but stock will be on hand.
In anticipation, the White House planned to unleash millions of vaccine shipments across the nation as soon as FDA authorization was announced. That means kids could begin getting shots at some point next week and become fully vaccinated by December. An advisory committee for the CDC will meet on Tuesday to discuss the pediatric vaccine safety and efficacy data, as an advisory FDA panel did this past week, and then CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to give the final signoff soon afterward. After FDA authorization, the process now heads to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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