Summary:
Vaccine maker Pfizer, BioNTech announced Thursday they have asked the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization of their coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The following comments from Dr. Emmanuel Walter, a pediatrician and director of the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit, are available for use in your coverage. (He is available for additional comment from 2-4 p.m. ET Thursday.)
Quotes:
“Data from children 5 to 11 years of age who received two doses of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, at a reduced 10 ug dose, showed the vaccine to be safe and lead to an excellent immune response in children,” says Dr. Emmanuel Walter, a pediatrician and director of the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit. “The immune response in children was as good as that seen for participants in the study, which tested the higher 30 ug dose in persons 16 to 25 years of age.”
Bio:
Emmanuel Walter, M.D., is a pediatrician and director of the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit. He led Duke’s participation in the clinical trials for Pfizer/BioNtech pediatric COVID vaccine.
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