Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine in Young Kids Satisfied FDA Criteria, Agency Says

The Food and Drug Administration said the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE met the agency's criteria for immune responses in a study in children ages 5 to 11 years.

If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention subsequently signs off, millions of younger children could get a Covid-19 vaccine for the first time.

The risk of severe Covid-19 is much lower in children than in adults. Yet many have been hospitalized, and at least 542 children age 17 years and younger have died from Covid-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccination may also help prevent children from transmitting the virus, according to many health experts.

Pfizer and BioNTech said in September that their vaccine was generally well-tolerated and induced strong immune responses in a study of nearly 2,270 children 5 to 11. Each child received two doses three weeks apart, and each shot contained one-third of the dosage used for adolescents and adults.