The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 within the next week.
Dr. Eric Robinette, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Akron Children’s, expects the side effects of the vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds to be similar to those seen in 16- to 25-year-olds.
“12 and up, kids that are in adolescence or post adolescence tend to be more like adults which is kind of why they’re the intermediate step between adults and younger children. Drugs and vaccines tend to be used in similar doses and have similar side effect profiles and things like that.”
Robinette says there shouldn’t be a delay between the vaccine being approved and 12- to 15-year-olds receiving it.
For younger children, he expects the vaccine to be approved in late 2021 as studies are still ongoing. Senders Pediatrics in South Euclid is participating in a Pfizer vaccine trial for kids under the age of 12.
