LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Bernama) -- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday granted emergency use authorisation for a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years at least five months after completion of the primary vaccine series.
On Jan 3, the FDA authorised the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds after completion of primary vaccination.
The FDA's decision on Tuesday means anyone aged 5 and older is now eligible for at least one booster dose.
"While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the Omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalised, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease," said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in a statement.
"The FDA is authorising the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age to provide continued protection against COVID-19," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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