The Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisers gave a thumbs-up to vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer for the littlest kids.
ABC News chief medical correspondent, Dr. Jen Ashton, explains the intricacies that are going into the FDA reviews of Pfizer and Moderna's COVID vaccines for small children.
FDA reviewers said both brands appear to be safe and effective for children as young as 6 months old in analyses posted ahead of the all-day meeting. Side effects, including fever and fatigue, were generally minor in both, and less common than seen in adults. If the FDA agrees with its advisers and authorizes the shots, there's one more step. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will decide on a formal recommendation after its own advisers vote on Saturday. If the CDC signs off, shots could be available as soon as Monday or Tuesday at doctor's offices, hospitals and pharmacies.
Pfizer's shots are just one-tenth its adult dose. Pfizer and partner BioNTech found that two shots didn't provide enough protection in testing, so a third was added during the omicron wave. Educating parents must be done"very very carefully so that they are not misled about what the vaccines actually provide,'' said Dr. Archana Chatterjee of Rosalind Franklin University.