FDA Stops Authorization Of Under Five Covid Vaccines

The news doing the rounds lately revolved around the authorization of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines for under 5-year-olds. There were recent talks about kids from 6 months of age to 5 years getting vaccinated in the last two-three months. However, the vaccines may take much more time to arrive.

FDA Stops Authorization Of Under Five Covid Vaccines

The FDA has asked for more time to stop such occurrences. The FDA is of the opinion that there needs to be some conclusive evidence on the availability of data on the third dose of the vaccine. The vaccine majors have said that data on the third dose for kids below 5 years will be available in March end.

Then only, the FDA will supposedly give approval or authorization for usage. In the past few months, massive research was done on the double-dose vaccine for kids aged six months to five years. However, things are all set for a change now. The FDA had, at times, asked the vaccine companies to start work on various vaccines for the said age group.

However, the recent stand taken by the FDA may have delayed the process manifold. The vaccine companies had even submitted their data on the vaccines, but now everything has been held up, as per the regulations of the FDA. The third dose will provide complete protection, as suggested. So, the FDA is not taking any chances.

The news that has been released on Friday seems to point towards the fact that the wait time may be subsequently longer. It means that the kids below 5 years, will still have to be kept protected. The daycare centers and primary schools may have to remain closed as of now. It will not be until April that something substantial may come up.

The companies have also been trying to develop some low-dose vaccines for the kids of the aforementioned ages. Earlier, the makers had also come out with other vaccines that promised to fulfill the needs. However, the vaccines failed miserably for 2–4-year-olds. The FDA has been heard discussing that the 3-mcg dose, which is the third dose in the line, will be required for kids of 2-4 years age group.

The officials are rushing with their versions of the story, as the Omicron surges ahead of all other variants in the US. The children are falling ill in millions in this wave. Thus, most vaccine makers are trying to come up with their own version of the vaccine. However, the delay in approval and release of the giant’s vaccines in the market slows down the eagerness of several others.

The third dose has been stated to be extremely useful in reigning in the surge in infections. The Omicron variant has been spreading like wildfire today. So, it remains to be seen, as to what the next stage will be about. Many of the companies including the ones listed above are rushing with the vaccine trials.

The vaccine majors are trying to come up with a higher degree of protection for the children. So, they are ready to compromise on the situation. The vaccine majors are working on the third dose, which could lead to the completion of the series of vaccines. The companies are expected to come up with all the relevant data related to the three doses for children as early as April.

The agency in the meanwhile has asked for more clinical data on the kid’s vaccines. However, the body would have to wait for the third dose of the vaccine to gain a full assessment of the ongoing situation. In the meantime, the best way for adults to protect their kids is to get vaccinated themselves.