FDA eyes lower COVID-19 vaccine dosage for minors aged 5 to 11

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is eyeing a different formulation and a lower dosage of the Pfizer vaccine for the vaccination of minors aged 5 to 11 against COVID-19.

“I think it’s a lower dose. First of all, kasi maliliit na bata lang ‘yung 5 to 11,”  FDA director-general Eric Domingo said in an interview on CNN.

[I think it’s a lower dose, first of all, because 5 to 11 year olds are really small kids.]

Similarly, the US FDA approved a 10-microgram dose of the Pfizer vaccine for the vaccination of 5 to 11 year olds, lower than the 30 micrograms for minors 12 years and older.

Domingo said the FDA was considering whether the vaccine would be given in a different formulation.

“Kasi ‘yung preparation, when I say preparation, how it is bottled, how many doses per vial, and whether it’s in liquid form or powder form,” Domingo said.

[Because when I say preparation, [I mean] how it is bottled, how many doses per vial, and whether it’s in liquid form or powder form.]

“So ‘yun lang ‘yung mga pagkakaiba. It’s the same vaccine, it’s the same mRNA, but probably by different form and in a different dosage,” he added.

Domingo said the FDA was expecting Pfizer to apply for an emergency use authorization for the vaccination of minors aged 5 to 11 in December.

“I’m confident that within the month of December that they would apply for an extension… so we might be expecting that toward the end of the year,” he said. -NB, GMA News