Scientific advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Thursday to discuss whether a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should be recommended to children ages 5 to 11.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the booster injection for this age group. The CDC’s advisers are also expected to endorse the shots. dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, is expected to agree to the recommendation soon.
The extra dose may boost immunity against current Omicron variants in these children. Studies have shown that two doses of the vaccine provide virtually no barrier to infection with the Omicron variant in children ages 5 to 11, although protection against serious illness remains strong.
In adolescents aged 12 to 17, two doses offered little protection, even against hospitalization, but a booster shot significantly improved immunity.
Pfizer and BioNTech reported Tuesday that in children aged 5 to 11, a third dose elicited antibodies against both the Omicron variant and the original version of the coronavirus. In a clinical trial, the children were given 10 micrograms of vaccine — one-third the dose given to adolescents and adults — by injection.
As with the first two doses, the booster injection appeared safe, the companies reported. The most commonly reported side effects were pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, as well as aches, chills, and fever.
Less than a third of 5- to 11-year-olds in the United States have received two doses. Many parents have been hesitant to vaccinate their children, in part because they have a much lower risk of serious illness than adults.
But a record number of children were hospitalized this winter during the Omicron wave. And some research suggests that even children with mild illness can experience symptoms for months.