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U.S. regulators have authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers. The Food and Drug Administration's decision comes after its advisory panel's unanimous recommendation for the shots from Moderna and Pfizer. This means that starting next week, roughly 18 million U.S. children under 5 are are eligible for the shots. The final step is that the CDC will recommend how to use vaccines and its vaccine advisers will then discuss the shots for the youngest kids Friday and vote on Saturday. A final signoff would come from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Pfizer's vaccine for kids younger than 5 is one-tenth of the adult dose. Three shots are needed: the first two given three weeks apart and the last at least two months later. Meanwhile, Moderna has two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids under 6.
The vaccines are for children as young as 6 months. Moderna next plans to study its shots for babies as young as 3-months-old. Pfizer has not finalized plans for shots in younger infants.
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