Corona pandemic: USA approve boosters for children

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a third vaccine against the coronavirus for children between the ages of five and eleven. Test series have shown that boosters are safe even at this age.

The US authorities have approved corona booster vaccinations for children from the age of five. The FDA has approved a third dose of BioNTech/Pfizer’s vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11 inclusive.

The booster, which can be administered no earlier than five months after the second vaccination dose, is intended to offer the children “continuous protection against Covid-19”. Test series have shown that boosters are also safe in this age group.

Vaccination “most effective way” to prevent Corona

“During the omicron wave, more children became ill and had to be hospitalized. They can also experience long-term consequences, even after only mild illness,” said Robert Califf of the FDA. Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent “Covid-19 and its serious consequences, and they are safe,” Califf said.

About 29 percent in the vaccinated age group

According to data from the CDC, around 29 percent of children between the ages of five and eleven in the United States have been vaccinated twice. About six percent are only vaccinated once.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the authority has had 334 Covid deaths between the ages of 5 and 14 in its statistics – four times as many deaths as from the flu in the same period. It is expected that in the coming days the CDC will follow the FDA approval and recommend the use of a booster.