The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Nov. 2 recommended children ages 5 to 11 be vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month authorized the vaccine for emergency use.
In clinical trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children. ACIP evaluated the risks and benefits of the vaccine, including the risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that has been reported after receiving messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines, particularly among men ages 12 to 29. Among 3,082 trial participants, there were no reports of myocarditis; 86.2 percent of vaccine recipients reported local side effects, such as pain at the injection site, and 66.6 percent reported systemic side effects, such as fatigue and headaches.
CMS Stakeholder Call on COVID-19 Health Care Worker Vaccine Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shared the slides and video recording from a Nov. 4 stakeholder call on its COVID-19 health care staff vaccination interim final rule with comment period.
The agency will hold another stakeholder call Nov. 10, from 3:30–4:30 pm ET. Registration is limited to 10,000 attendees, so participants are encouraged to register in advance.
America’s Essential Hospitals issued a statement on the rule and will issue a detailed Action Update in the coming days.
Pfizer COVID-19 Treatment
Pfizer announced its investigational novel COVID-19 oral antiviral candidate significantly reduced hospitalization and death, based on an interim analysis of trial results. The oral antiviral candidate, if approved or authorized by regulatory authorities, has the potential to eliminate up to nine out of 10 hospitalizations, according to company leaders. Pfizer plans to submit data to the FDA as soon as possible.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the pandemic.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
