The rocks of humiliation are thrown quickly.
The stones of vindication move slowly and grind exceedingly fine.
Children aged 6 months to 4 years for now will remain the only segment of the U.S. population not yet approved for COVID-19 immunization, after FDA agreed to delay authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for them. The companies requested the action after learning that the Omicron variant had triggered far more infections in its young trial volunteers than initially thought. New data demonstrated that Omicron is more resistant to the vaccine than the Delta variant and that two doses would not convey adequate protection. Instead, the manufacturers and FDA will wait for trial results on how well three pediatric doses work in the littlest recipients. The findings are anticipated by early April, and researchers hope they will demonstrate more robust immune responses and greater success in fighting back symptomatic cases. Earlier study results disappointed, with two doses of vaccine producing sufficient antibodies against COVID in children aged 6 months to 2 years but not in children aged 2–4 years. FDA began soliciting Pfizer-BioNTech weeks ago to apply for emergency use authorization anyway, in hopes of providing some protection rather than none at all. The intention was to start immunizing youngsters with two doses, with a third likely to be added later; but many pediatric experts agreed that FDA was right to hold off until the additional results come in. (Read More at NYT) - May Require Paid Subscription