Pfizer, BioNTech ask FDA to authorize Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5-11

Pfizer and BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize their vaccine for Covid-19 for children aged 5 to 11, the companies announced Thursday.

The filing could clear the way for roughly 28 million children in the United States to be vaccinated against the virus, beginning in a matter of weeks. The FDA took the unusual step of scheduling a meeting of its external vaccine advisory committee to discuss the Pfizer-BioNTech shot for children before the companies had formally sought authorization.

At that meeting, on Oct. 26, panel members will vote on whether to recommend the shot for kids 5-11. FDA is not bound by the panel’s advice but usually takes it. The agency could act within days after the meeting.