More than 2,200 children participated in a clinical trial of a Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19. The children were between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. According to Pfizer, the vaccine is safe and effective for this age group.

Pfizer has submitted the data from the clinical trial to the FDA. The goal is to get emergency use authorization for the vaccine so that children can get vaccinated for Covid-19 as soon as possible.

Scott Gottlieb is a Pfizer board member. He is also the former head of the FDA. He told CNBC, “Depending on how long the FDA takes to review the application, whether it’s a four-week review or a six-week review, you could have a vaccine available to children as early as probably by the end of October.”

That means that it’s possible that children could start getting vaccinated for Covid-19 before Halloween.

If the vaccine is approved, the dose your children would be getting would not be the same as the dose in the vaccine you would get. Pfizer is recommending a dose one third the amount that’s recommended for teens and adults. Similar to the adult version of the vaccine, children would be given 2 doses 3 weeks apart.

Covid-19 vaccine side effects in children were similar to side effects adults experience. For example, common side effects include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue and headaches.

In a press release, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, “We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children.”

Watch the video below for more details about the Pfizer vaccine for children, and hear from a mom who was lucky enough to have her children participate in the clinical trial.

 

Do you think the Pfizer vaccine will be approved for children before Halloween? If you have children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, are you going to get them vaccinated right away when the vaccine is approved?