The US Food and Drug Administration has Approved Pfizer’s COVID Booster Injection for Young Children.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a booster dose of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, allowing anybody above the age of 5 to get a third shot. Before the injections may be given out, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must approve them.

In the United States, children under the age of five are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. In the face of studies showing that vaccination protection wanes with time, the US government has been pushing for eligible Americans to obtain boosters, and it just allowed a second shot for adults 50 and older. A first booster dosage was given to about 102.3 million individuals.

According to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, the new authorization is intended to give continuing protection against COVID-19 for children aged 5 to 11. It’s uncertain how many parents will opt for a third dosage for their children in that age range. According to CDC data, just 28.8% of children aged 5 to 11 are completely immunized. Out of all the categories, this has the lowest immunization coverage.

Booster vaccinations in this age range, according to Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, would have a minimal influence on the pandemic, despite evidence that the additional injections will protect against moderate sickness for three to six months.  On Thursday, the CDC will hold a conference of independent consultants to consider vaccination boosters. The director of the agency has the final word on vaccination administration.