FDA clears kids as young as 12 for Pfizer COVID vaccine, Henderson pediatrician weighs in

The fight against the pandemic is including the youngest yet with the Food and Drug Administration clearing the way for children starting at age 12 to receive the two-shot Pfizer vaccine.

The announcement came on Monday after regulators announced the emergency use authorization had been approved.

NOW..THANKS FOR JOINING US..I’M... TODD QUINONES.AND...I’M TRICIA KEAN.TONIGHT...MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS.... INTHE FIGHT AGAINST.... COVID 19..CHILDREN.... AS YOUNGAS... -12- YEARS OLD... CANGET.... "THE PFIZER SHOT"...THE DECISION COMINGDOWN.... FROM.... THE F-D-A....JUST HOURS AGO...WE ARE GOING IN DEPTH WITHTHIS ANNOUNCEMENT..13 INVESTIGATES REPORTERJOE BARTELS IS LIVE..JOE..

YOU SPOKE TO ONE OFTHE PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS..

INTHE LOCAL VACCINE TRIALS FORCHILDREN.I DID..DOCTOR MICHAEL LEVIN..SAYS THIS IS A HUGEANNOUNCEMENT..AND THERE COULD BE MORE ONTHE WAY..HE SAYS STUDIES WILL SOONBE ENROLLING KIDS..

AS YOUNG AS6 YEARS OLD..

TO TEST THEVACCINE..HE SAYS..

IT’S A STEP TOGETTING LIFE BACK TO NORMAL!THE U-S- FOOD AND DRUGADMINISTRATION..CLEARING THE WAY FOR THEYOUNGEST YET TO GET PROTECTEDAGAINST COVID-19!PZIFER HAS APPLIED FOR ANDHAS BEEN APPROVED..UNDER AN EMERGENCY USEAUTHORIZATION..FOR ITS COVID-19 VACCINEFOR KIDS STARTING AT 12!"I DO ANTICIPATE AT SOME POINTTHEY WILL MANDATE THESE VACCINESFOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.

"DOCTOR MICHAEL LEVIN SPOKEWITH ME..HE’S A PRINCIPLEINVESTIGATOR AND PEDETRICIAN INTHE LOCAL VACCINE TRAILS..HE SAYS IT’S CRUCIAL FORKIDS TO GET THE VACCINE..TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THEVIRUS"WHEN I TALK TO PARENTS AND ITALK TO PEOPLE IN GENERAL THEYFEEL LIKE WELL WHY DO WE NEEDALL THESE VACCINES FOR WE DON’TSEE WHAT DIFFERENCE THEY MAKEAND THAT’S BECAUSE THESEDISEASES HAVE BEEN ESSENTIALLYERADICATED BY THE VACCINES.

"DOCTOR LEVIN POINTS TODISEASES LIKE POLIO AND MEASLESWHICH HAVE BEEN TARGETEDBY VACCINES FOR YEARS..BUT VACCINE HESISTENANCYAND DOUBTS LINGER FOR SOME."I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO IS ABOUTTO TURN 16, AND A SON WHO IS13."I SPOKE WITH LORENALLAMAS...SHE’S BEEN VACCINATED..BUT IS CONCERNED THEVACCINE..

IS STILL TOO NEW.

FORHER TEENS..."I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT THE LONGTERM EFFECTS WILL BE."DOCTOR LEVIN SAYS CHILDRENWHO GET COVID..

SOMETIMESDEVELOP A SERIOUS COMPLICATION..KNOWN AS MULTI-INFLAMATORYSYNDROME..

OR M-I-S-C FOR SHORT." I HAVE A SMALL PRACTICE HEREAND ONE OF MY PATIENTS ACTUALLYGOT MULTIPLE INFLAMMATORYSYNDROME CHILDREN HE WAS, 12YEARS OLD AND HIS FAMILY HADCOVID IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATERHE GOT VERY SICK."DOCTOR LEVIN NOTES THE BOYWAS HOSPITALIZED AND TREATEDWITH STEROIDS..HE HAS SINCE RECOVERED.AUTHORITIES SAY THEVACCINE HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BESAFE AND EFFECTIVE..AND RESEARCH IS LIKELYALREADY UNDERWAY FOR EVENYOUNGER CHILDREN..."THEY LIKE TO START WITH ADULTSFIRST THEN THEY GENERALLY MOVETO TEENAGERS AND THEN FURTHERDOWN THE AGE GROUPS THE NOVAVAXTRIAL WHICH WE ARE CURRENTLYENROLLING IS EXPECTED AFTER THISSTAGE TO START A 6 TO 11 YEAROLDS I HAVEN’T HEARD ANYTHINGBEYOND THAT ABOUT GOING LOWER.

"WE ASKED ABOUT THE SHOT..AND DR. LEVIN SAYS THEAMOUNT OF VACCINE ADMINISTEREDTYPICALLY CHANGES IF YOU AREGIVING IT TO A CHILD..

VERSUS ANADULT..THE GOAL IS TO BALANCE..THE EFFECTIVENESS..

WITHOUTSEVERE SIDE EFFECTS.THE PFIZER REMAINS A TWODOSE VACCINE FOR THIS NEW AGEGROUP.ANOTHER TRIAL... IS FORNOVAVAX -- THEY JUST DELAYEDTHEIR AUTHORIZATION TODAY FORUSE IN ADULTS.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS