Vaccines for kids between the ages of five and 11 will likely be available in the first half of November, top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said yesterday, predicting a timetable that could see many kids getting fully vaccinated before the end of the year.
“If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval and the recommendation from the CDC, it’s entirely possible, if not very likely, that vaccines will be available for children from five to 11 within the first week or two of November,” Fauci said.
The US Food and Drug Administration officials are reviewing the Pfizer/BioNTech application seeking authorisation of its two-dose vaccine for younger children, with its panel of outside advisers scheduled to weigh in tomorrow.
The FDA typically follows the advice of its panel but is not required to do so.
Advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will weigh in on recommendations for the vaccine at a meeting on 2nd and 3rd November, helping to inform a final decision by its director.
(Edited by EP Bureau)