“We now have the most powerful tool to protect young children against COVID-19 and its variants. The CDC’s unanimous approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 is an important step forward in our fight against COVID-19.
Although COVID-19 infection is often less severe in kids than adults, our children have experienced serious illness and even death as a result of COVID-19 infection. Our state alone has seen more than 690 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), in which a hyperactive immune system attacks the child’s body. Half of these cases had to be hospitalized in intensive care units.
CDC advisors’ enthusiastic support for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children in the 5-11 age group is a reassuring sign for parents about the safety and efficacy of this vaccine.”