Vaccines for Children Under 12 Not Expected Until Winter Months

Officials say they need four to six months of safety follow-up data.

According to the FDA, emergency authorization for covid-19 vaccines in children under 12 could come in early to midwinter. Moderna and Pfizer launched trials for kids within the age group back in March and FDA officials say they need four to six months of safety follow-up data, which is needed for what is known as a biologics license application. That additional data could make the process of granting full approval easier. Representatives for Pfizer say the company anticipates results on its clinical trials in kids ages 5 to 11 sometime in September, and soon after that, data for kids between 2 and 5 could arrive. The company also added that results on children ages 6 months up to 2 years may not be released until October or November. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as of July 8th, more than 4 million children had been diagnosed with covid-19, which is 14.2 percent of overall cases.