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U.S. NEWS Friday 20 May 2022
CDC advisers urge Pfizer booster for children ages 5 to 11

By LAURAN NEERGAARD thorities must put more ef-
AP Medical Writer fort into getting youngsters
Kids ages 5 to 11 should get their initial shots.
a booster dose of Pfizer’s “That needs to be a prior-
COVID-19 vaccine, advis- ity,” she said.
ers to the U.S. government Thursday’s decision also
said Thursday. means that 5- to 11-year-
If the Centers for Disease olds with severely weak-
Control and Prevention ened immune systems, who
agrees, as expected, it are supposed to get three
would open a third CO- initial shots, would be eligi-
VID-19 shot to healthy el- ble for a fourth dose.
ementary-age kids — just Pfizer and its partner BioN-
like what is already recom- Tech currently make the
mended for everybody 12 only COVID-19 vaccine
and older. available for children of
The hope is that an extra any age in the U.S. Those
shot will shore up protec- ages 5 to 11 receive a dose
tion for kids ages 5 to 11 as that’s one-third the amount
infections once again are given to everyone 12 and
on the rise. older.
Earlier this week, the Food In a small study, Pfizer found
and Drug Administration a booster revved up those
authorized Pfizer’s kid-sized A nurse holds a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, right, and a vial of the kids’ levels of virus-fight-
booster, to be offered at vaccine for adults, which has a different colored label, at a vaccination station in Jackson, Miss., ing antibodies — includ-
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.
least five months after the Associated Press ing those able to fight the
youngsters’ last shot. super-contagious omicron
The CDC takes the next the CDC’s advisers pointed the hottest vaccine topic: advisers are expected to variant — the same kind of
step of recommending to growing evidence from Parents still are anxiously publicly debate data from jump adults get from an ex-
who actually needs vacci- older kids and adults that awaiting a chance to vac- one or both companies tra shot.
nations. Its advisers debat- two primary vaccinations cinate kids under 5 — the next month. Vaccines may not always
ed if all otherwise healthy plus a booster are provid- only group not yet eligible For the 5- to 11-year-olds, prevent milder infections,
5- to 11-year-olds need an ing the best protection in the U.S. it’s not clear how much and the omicron variant
extra dose, especially since against the newest coro- Dr. Doran Fink of the Food booster demand there will proved especially able
so many children were in- navirus variants. and Drug Administration be. Only about 30% of that to slip past their defenses.
fected during the huge “This always perhaps should said the agency is working age group have had the But CDC cited data dur-
winter surge of the omicron have been a three-dose “as rapidly as we can” to initial two Pfizer doses since ing the omicron surge that
variant. vaccine,” said Dr. Grace evaluate an application vaccinations opened to showed unvaccinated 5-
But the U.S. now is averag- Lee of Stanford University, from vaccine maker Mod- them in November. to 11-year-olds had twice
ing 100,000 new cases a who chairs the CDC’s advi- erna, and is awaiting final CDC adviser Dr. Helen the rate of hospitalization
day for the first time since sory panel. data on the littlest kids from Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt as youngsters who got their
February. And ultimately, The booster question isn’t rival Pfizer. The FDA’s own University said health au- first two doses.q

Harris meets with abortion providers as

court ruling looms

By CHRIS MEGERIAN tionwide. “It’s outrageous, and it’s
Associated Press Justices are expected just the latest in a series of
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice to issue their final ruling extreme laws from around
President Kamala Harris, in the next six weeks, but the country,” Harris said.
embracing her role as one some states with Repub- She said the rules were de-
of the administration’s most lican leaders are already signed to “punish and con-
outspoken defenders of laying the groundwork to trol women.”
abortion rights, spoke Thurs- ban abortion outright if In addition to Oklahoma,
day with abortion providers the court allows individual the abortion providers who
from states with some of the states to set their own rules participated in the meet-
country’s strictest restric- for the procedure. ing were from Kansas, Tex-
tions, saying they are “on Shortly before Harris be- as, Missouri and Montana.
the front lines of this war on gan her meeting, Okla- Other states with less restric-
women’s rights.” homa lawmakers passed tive laws are preparing for
The virtual conversation, what might be the most a potential influx of patients Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a virtual meeting
which Harris hosted from restrictive abortion ban in if more bans going into ef- with abortion providers from the South Court Auditorium on the
White House complex in Washington, Thursday, May 19, 2022.
the White House complex, the country, preventing fect. Associated Press
came weeks after the leak the procedure in all cases Much as President Joe
of a draft Supreme Court except to save the life of Biden has done, Harris said “It would be a direct as- The Biden administration
opinion suggesting that a pregnant woman or if other court rulings that sault on the fundamental has few options available
justices are on the brink of the pregnancy is the result allowed access to con- right of self determination, to protect abortion, espe-
overturning the landmark of rape or incest that has traception and legalized to live and love without in- cially since legislation to
1973 Roe v. Wade ruling been reported to law en- same sex marriage could terference from the gov- safeguard access failed in
that legalized abortion na- forcement. also be at risk. ernment,” she said. the Senate last week.q