US FDA advisers weigh Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children

An expert panel on Tuesday will vote on whether to recommend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorize the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

An authorization for that age group would be would be an important regulatory step toward reaching about 28 million children for inoculation, most of them back in school for in-person learning.

The FDA need not follow the advice of its outside experts, but usually does.