WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year.
That's according to a federal official and a person familiar with the process.
The FDA action would be followed by a meeting of a federal vaccine advisory committee to discuss whether to recommend the shot for 12- to 15-year-olds.
Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would act on the committee's recommendation.
Those steps could be completed in a matter of days.
According to CNN, at the end of March, Pfizer said a clinical trial involving 2,260 12-to-15-year-olds showed an efficacy of 100%, and they tolerated it well.
The Associated Press reported that the children involved in the clinical trial reported side effects such as pain, fever, chills, and fatigue, particularly after the second dose.
Currently, the vaccine is only authorized in the US for emergency use in people 16 and older.