An expert panel of the US medical regulator, the FDA, has recommended vaccination against covid in children aged 5-11 years.
17 of the 18 FDA panelists voted (1 abstained) that the benefits of Pfizer vaccination outweighed the risks.
"Given all the scientific information available, can the benefits of Pfizer-BioNTech covid vaccine be considered to outweigh the risks of use in children aged 5-11 years when given in two doses (10 milligrams each, three weeks apart)?" - this is the question brought up for discussion.
On November 2-3, experts from another regulator, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will discuss the same issue.
If approved, the vaccine will be available to 28 million children. The White House has announced that it is already working to begin vaccinating in a matter of days after CDC approval.
Photo: National News Service