FDA postpones advisory panel meeting on Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for younger children

The US Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it is postponing the meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, originally scheduled for February 15, as "new data have recently emerged" regarding Pfizer and BioNTech's emergency use authorization request for their Covid-19 vaccine for children younger than 5.

"This will give the agency time to consider the additional data, allowing for a transparent public discussion as part of our usual scientific and regulatory processes for COVID-19 vaccines. We will provide an update on timing for the advisory committee meeting once we receive additional data on a third dose in this age group from the company's ongoing clinical trial and have an opportunity to complete an updated evaluation," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock and Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

In a news release Friday, Pfizer said it continues to share data from its child vaccine trial with the FDA. With the surge of the Omicron variant, high rates of infection and illness among children have allowed the company to quickly accumulate the data it needs for the study protocol.