BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kids under 5 aren't eligible for COVID vaccines right now but that could change soon.
First, Pfizer needs to send the data from the clinical trials over to the FDA.
The drug company just applied for a two-dose shot with the organization on Tuesday.
"That will be the big thing to look at. With this data is what immune levels do they get, how many kids did they look at, are there enough numbers and particularly, they're going to want to see omicron specific data," said Mark Hicar, a local pediatric, infectious disease doctor & associate professor of pediatrics at UB.
Federal regulators are urging Pfizer to send that info over soon.
They are expected to approve two doses at first, for kids six months to four years old.
Pfizer hopes to get a third dose approved for a better immune response.
However, it won't be a rushed process.
"Some people think oh these are decisions being made by big drug companies and we all step in line or something like that. That's not true. I know a lot of people on these boards advising the FDA. I trained with some of them," Hicar said.
"They're very cautious when they approve things."
Once the FDA gets Pfizer's data, it'll be analyzed for two to four weeks.
Then there will be meetings to have experts weigh in on the findings.
Even after it's approved by the FDA, the vaccine still has to go to the CDC for their stamp of approval too before it can even go into your child's arm.
So if it gets approved, the experts say to get your child vaccinated.
"The numbers are still good. However, COVID has still killed more children than the flu kills every year," Hicar said.
"We're trying to get as many immune to squash down as much transmission as possible and vaccines definitely help with the transmission."
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