FDA Authorizes Pfizer Vaccine For Ages 12-15, WA Evaluating

OLYMPIA, WA — Children aged 12-15 may be authorized to take the COVID-19 vaccine in just a few short days.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that they were expanding the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to include children ages 12-15. The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine authorized for use on minors, though currently it is restricted to those 16 and up.

Now that it has the FDA's blessing, the Pfizer vaccine will only need to clear two more hurdles before it can be administered to children in Washington state. First, it will need approval by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), whose approval will clear it for use in most of the country. The ACIP is expected to announce its recommendation Wednesday.

But Washington, California, Oregon and several other west coast states have a more thorough review than most: following ACIP approval the proposal will need to be reviewed by the Western State Pact, which double-checks the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

In the past, reviews by the Western State Pact have not delayed administration, taking less time than it takes to ship new vaccines to Washington state. This situation is slightly different, however, as the vaccine is already present and in use in the here, so it could potentially cause a slight wait — we'll just have to see.

Still, if the pact works as quickly as it has in the past, it's possible that children 12-15 could receive the vaccine in Washington by the end of the week. That's good news, as immunizing children against COVID-19 will be a key step in ending this pandemic for good.

"This is a watershed moment in our ability to fight back the COVID-19 pandemic," Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president told The Associated Press.

For the FDA's trial, 1,131 children received the Pfizer vaccine. Another 1,129 took a saline placebo. Both groups were tracked for two months following their second shot, and were generally found to have side effects "consistent with those reported in clinical trial participants 16 years of age and older," the FDA says. That means that, like many adults who take the vaccine, some trial participants suffered soreness, tiredness, headaches and chills after their second dose, but no severe complications.

Other vaccines may also be approved for use in children in the near future. Moderna is currently studying how its vaccine works on 12 to 17-year-olds. Novavax also has a vaccine in the late stages of development, which is also being studied in 12 to 17-year-old patients, the AP reports.

Related: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Expanded To U.S. Children 12 And Older