US Regulators Authorize Pfizer COVID-19 Booster for Children as Young as 5

FDA bypasses advisory panel again

A nurse prepares the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in a file image. Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

Americans as young as 5 can get a COVID-19 vaccine booster after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 17 expanded emergency authorization for Pfizer’s shot.

The regulatory agency expanded clearance of a third Pfizer shot to children aged 5 to 11 at least five months after their second dose.