On Tuesday, Pfizer and BioNTech filed a request with the Food and Drug Administration for the approval of their COVID-19 booster shot for children ages five through 11.
According to NPR, the companies submitted data showing that their low-dose booster shot is effective and safe for that age group, could help prevent them from contracting the Omicron variant, and could help counter waning immunity from previous shots as seen in other age groups.
Some experts agree with the companies' claims, while others say the third shot may not be necessary.
"Over time, immunity to the vaccine wanes. And we know that that happens in children as well. So the data right now really support vaccine and boosters in particular to maintain immunity," said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado.
Maldonado is an infectious disease researcher at Stanford who advises the American Academy of Pediatrics, and has also been helping test the vaccine for Pfizer.
Dr. Paul Offit, who leads the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and advises the FDA, said though that the initial two-shot vaccine is still doing a god job at protecting everyone, including children, from becoming severely ill.
"It may be that over time, those two doses don't protect against serious illness, in which case one could reasonably received a third dose. But for right now, protection against serious illness appears to be holding up," he said.
Offit added that without proof that the third shot could reduce serious illness, "I don't see a clear reason to give a third dose now."
According to NPR, it currently remains unclear just how many parents will be bringing their children to get this third shot.
"Less than a third of kids ages 5 to 11 have gotten both of the first two shots. And less than a quarter of children ages 12 to 17 have gotten boosters," NPR reported.
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