US: Covid vaccines likely to be available early November for children aged 5 to 11, says Fauci

WASHINGTON: American children ages 5 to 11 may be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines shot by early next month, said US top coronavirus adviser Dr Anthony Fauci.

According to New York Times, Food and Drug Administration regulators on Friday (local time) released their evaluation of data from the Pfizer-BioNTech submission for emergency authorization of a lower-dose vaccine for young children.

An advisory panel to the FDA will consider Pfizer's application for those ages 5 to 11 on Tuesday. Children 12 and up have been eligible for vaccination since May, the publication reported.

Pfizer's data "look good as to the efficacy and safety," Dr Fauci said, NYT reported citing ABC's news program, "This Week."

Pfizer and BioNTech asked federal regulators on Thursday to authorize emergency use of their coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, a move that could help protect more than 28 million people in the United States.

The companies said they are submitting data supporting the change to the Food and Drug Administration. The agency has promised to move quickly on the request and has tentatively scheduled a meeting on October 26 to consider it. An FDA ruling is expected as early as Halloween.

A meeting of expert advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been scheduled for November 2 and 3, according to people familiar with the planning. The CDC's recommendations are typically the federal government's last word on vaccine policy.

"With new cases in children in the US continuing to be at a high level, this submission is an important step in our ongoing effort against COVID-19," Pfizer said on Thursday, according to New York Times.