Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine for children under five may lose U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization this fall, raising the possibility of supply shortages and prompting Moderna Inc. to step in to help fill potential gaps.
"We are working to ensure there will be sufficient supply," said Chris Ridley, a Moderna spokesperson.
According to an email from the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases obtained by The Guardian, the FDA recently told Pfizer it may not renew the emergency use authorization for its pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025 respiratory season.
The move could remove the only COVID-19 vaccine available to all children under five from the market. The vaccine is currently authorized for children between six months and four years old.
Pfizer expects its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 to receive full FDA approval this fall.
However, options would be limited without authorization for the youngest age group.
Moderna's pediatric vaccine, approved by the FDA in July, is only available for children with certain health conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Novavax Inc.'s pediatric shot is available only for children 12 and older with similar health conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is in talks with Moderna to quickly increase vaccine supply for young children in anticipation of possible gaps. --->READ MORE HERE
The first COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months old are on their way to the Valley.
The vaccines for children six months old to five years old will be distributed to hospitals and pediatric offices, but some parents are still not sure if they will allow their child to get vaccinated.
Dr. Federico Vallejo, a pulmonologist at DHR Health, says now is not the time for parents to be second guessing.
"With Omicron, there is more than 20,000 hospitalizations and around 200 deaths," Vallejo said. "So to be able to have some of that population that was missing this protection, six months to five years, is a big deal."
One Valley family says that getting vaccinated is too soon for them and their 10-month-old daughter.
"I feel that it's too early to be vaccinating children," Valley resident Raymundo Chirinos said. "There are other ways to build their immune system." --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
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