The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) has voted to recommend that the FDA grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in children between 5 and less than 12 years of age. 

The full FDA is expected to make its decision in the coming days (as reported on October 26, 2021). The companies expect to then begin shipping pediatric vaccine doses immediately as directed by the US government.

The US government has also purchased 50 million more doses of the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine. The US will receive these additional doses to continue to support preparedness for pediatric vaccinations, including securing vaccines for children under 5 years of age, should they receive regulatory authorization. The companies expect to deliver all these doses by April 30, 2022.

Source: Pfizer (EUA), Pfizer (government purchase), BioNTech (EUA), and BioNTech (government purchase)