The Pfizer vaccine was recently fully approved in America by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August 2021. The vaccines received emergency use approval at the beginning of 2021, which is why it was being administered without full approval of the FDA.
The three companies that produce the vaccines that Americans who are vaccinated have received are Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. Pfizer and Moderna are both two-dose vaccines, and Johnson and Johnson is a one-dose vaccine. As of right now in the U.S., anyone 12 or over can receive Pfizer. Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are for people 18 and over. There are two developing updates both concerning the Pfizer-produced vaccine that we should all be aware of.
The Pfizer Vaccine may soon be given to children ages 5-11
The Pfizer vaccine may be FDA approved for children between the ages of 5-11 soon. There was recently a statement made by a former FDA commissioner that the Pfizer vaccine may be FDA approved for children by Halloween. The FDA has not approved the vaccine for young children yet, but Pfizer is planning to submit their data to the FDA for approval by the end of September. In an interview with CNBC, the former FDA Administrator Mark Mclellan called the findings of the studies by Pfizer “very promising.”
Based on information from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children in the U.S. now make up almost 30 percent of new infections of COVID in the country. When the pandemic began, children made up 15.7 percent of COVID cases in the U.S. Vaccinating young children is important to many who work in schools, especially teachers. Building up kids’ immunity to COVID could help stop the outbreaks that have been occurring in schools. Children that are in school spend all day together in small classrooms. The vaccination of young children could be very helpful to stop the spread of the virus in schools.
Booster shots are coming soon for both immunocompromised and maybe the public as a whole
On Wednesday, Sep. 22, The FDA granted emergency authorization for a booster Pfizer vaccine for people who are over the age of 65 because their older age puts them at a higher risk. The FDA also approved the Pfizer booster for people whose jobs put them at a higher risk of exposure because of their jobs, such as doctors and teachers. The Pfizer booster shot is also being recommended for people under the age of 65 who have health issues. Booster shots have already been administered to 2.3 million Americans. However, they are not yet approved to be given out to the general public.
Pfizer had requested approval for the booster shot of their vaccine for everyone who had received their first two doses over the age of 16. The Pfizer booster is only for the people who received Pfizer as their first two doses. Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are also working on booster shot trials. Moderna has applied for the FDA to approve a booster shot for their vaccine but it does not seem to be getting approved soon. Johnson and Johnson have not yet asked the FDA to approve a booster dose of their shot as they are still doing research.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!