US Health officials have given their final clearance to Pfizer’s Covid-19 shot for kids. This is seen as a milestone in the nation’s vaccination campaign for children in the age group of 5 to 11.
There are 28 million youngsters in this age group and it is the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any Covid-19 vaccine.
While it is believed that the risk of severe disease and death is lower in young children than in adults, it has been found that Covid-19 has had a profound social, mental health and educational impact on youngsters.
President Joe Biden calls this a turning point and that it would allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has also welcomed the decision. The kids aged 5 to 11 will receive two low doses, three weeks apart. They will receive the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech with a smaller needle.
