Pfizer Asks FDA For Emergency Use Authorization For COVID Vaccine For Kids 5 to 11

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Pfizer officially submitted a request to the FDA for emergency authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old.

CBS 2's Chris Tye reported Pfizer said a lower dose of its vaccine is safe for that age group.

Pfizer announced trials showed the vaccine was "safe," "well tolerated," and resulted in "robust neutralizing antibody responses."

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.

For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose -- a third of the amount that's in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects -- such as sore arms, fever or achiness -- that teens experience, he said.

This is a developing story.

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