COVID vaccines are safe for kids, but we need to prioritize high-risk children
Sooner or later almost all children should take the vaccine not only for their own sake but also for the sake of those around them.
A lot of parents are worried about whether they can safely give the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to their children, even at a third the adult dose. My answer is yes, but I think children at higher risk of COVID-19 complications should get the shot first.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a key member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, told me on my SiriusXM Doctor Radio show that the committee’s recommendation that the FDA issue an emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5 to 11 was based on the question of whether members would give the vaccine to their own young child or grandchild. After reviewing the data, their answer was a resounding yes, with a 17 to 0 vote, and one abstention.