April 27, 2022
Life Sciences
  • Pfizer and BioNTech requested Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization of a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11. The companies have said that a third vaccine dose raised Omicron-fighting antibodies by 36 times in this age group. Recent studies found that the effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 12 dropped substantially during the Omicron surge, falling from 68 percent to about 12 percent against COVID-19 infection. However, two doses continued to provide protection against more severe illness resulting in urgent care or hospitalizations. (Press release here; Articles here, here, here, and here)