Coronavirus Watch: Pfizer seeks FDA authorization to vaccinate kids 5-11

Pfizer and BioNTech have asked federal regulators to authorize emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11, the companies announced Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will need to sign off on the vaccine before it becomes available to children. An independent expert panel will review the data Oct. 26.

Pfizer and its German vaccine partner released data from a clinical trial last month indicating their vaccine was safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11 at one-third of the dose given to adolescents and adults. The vaccine could be crucial for elementary schools, where no students have had access to vaccination because of age limits.

It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news you need to know.

• The White House released a report early Thursday on the effects of vaccination requirements in the U.S., contending that mandating vaccines will lead to millions more Americans getting shots in the arm.
• The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a $1 billion investment in home tests that will quadruple the nation's supply of the rapid tests by early December. The administration has secured commitments from test manufacturers to supply up to 200 million home tests per month by December, said Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. 
• The Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System reported 99% of its workforce is compliant with its COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
• Los Angeles leaders have approved one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates, a sweeping measure that would require the shots for everyone entering bars, restaurants, nail salons, gyms or sports events.
• The World Health Organization is working to ship COVID-19 medical supplies into North Korea, a possible sign that the North is easing one of the world’s strictest pandemic border closures to receive outside help.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 44 million COVID-19 cases and 707,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 236 million cases and more than 4.8 million deaths. About 65% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 56% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 78% have received at least one shot, and about 67% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck