US gives final clearance to COVID-19 shots for kids 5 to 11

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writers

US health officials have given the final OK to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the go-ahead Tuesday night. The announcement came only hours after a CDC advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer’s shots should be given to children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer has already shipped millions of doses to states, doctors’ offices and pharmacies. And pediatricians are getting ready to put shots into little arms. The special kid shots contain just a third of the dose given to teens and adults.