The Story:
On October 26 an advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a low-dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for Covid-19 to protect children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. Approval by the FDA itself is thought to be imminent.
Significance:
The panel’s decision is critical for the White House distribution plan announced last week.
The Biden administration says that enough vaccine is available to give shots to every child in the United States between those ages. It has been working with state and local leaders on the specifics of distribution.
Schools have been open across the country for the 2021-22 academic year. The protocols for minimizing the risk of Covid contagion, everything from the spacing of desks to the use of masks, have had to be determined at a school board by school board level, and the resulting conflicts have sometimes become explosive.
In Pill Form:
A year ago it was common wisdom that Covid strikes adults, especially the elderly, and largely leaves children alone. The delta variant, though, has struck hard against children. Chinese regulators have cleared two of that country’s vaccine brands for use in children as young as 3.
