The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine expert panel Thursday recommended kids 5-11 get a third shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as a booster five months after their last dose, which once adopted by the agency clears the way for pharmacies and health care providers to begin offering the shots.
The CDC is expected to adopt the panel’s recommendation, which comes two days after the Food and Drug Administration expanded authorization for the vaccine for children 5-11, formulated at a third of the dose of the vaccine for teens and adults. Local health providers say the shots will be available within days.
“We expect to begin offering boosters to ages 5-11 early next week, pending the CDC recommendation,” said Contra Costa Health Services spokesman Will Harper.
