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Pfizer seeks approval for children’s COVID-19 vaccine as report spotlights caregiver deaths

Ben Burke (Producer)
Pfizer seeks approval for kids aged 5-11 as a new caregiver death report is released.
Image credit: FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File Photo

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On the same day Pfizer announced it is seeking regulatory approval for use of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine on American children ages 5-11, a new report released Thursday shows just how many children lost a caregiver during the pandemic.

“We and @BioNTech_Group officially submitted our request to @US_FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of our #COVID19 vaccine in children 5 to <12,” Pfizer said in a tweet thread Thursday morning. “We’re committed to working with the FDA with the ultimate goal of helping protect children against this serious public health threat.”

In the coming weeks, the FDA will have to decide if there’s enough evidence that the shots are safe and effective for children in that age range. An independent expert panel will publicly debate the evidence on Oct. 26. Approval could come shortly after debate, like it did for Pfizer’s booster shot.
The Pfizer approval request came just after a new report shed light on caregiver deaths during the pandemic. The report was published in the medical journal Pediatrics.
“During 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic,120,630 children in the US experienced death of a primary caregiver, including parents and grandparents providing basic needs, because of COVID-19-associated death,” the report said. “Additionally, 22,007 children experienced death of secondary caregivers.”
The report noted a racial disparity when it came to who lost a primary caregivers.
“We estimate White children account for 35% of children who lost primary caregivers, whilst White persons represent 61% of the total population,” according to the report. “In contrast, children of racial and ethnic minorities account for 65% of children losing primary caregivers, compared to 39% of the total population.”

In many instances, surviving parents or other relatives remained to provide for these children. Federal statistics are not yet available on how many U.S. children went into foster care in 2020. Researchers estimate COVID-19 drove a 15% increase in orphaned children.

“Our findings suggest an immediate need to integrate care for children into COVID-19 Emergency Response priorities, which focus on vaccination, mitigation, testing, contact tracing, and disease management,” the report said. “The magnitude of COVID-19-associated parent and caregiver death suggests effective responses should combine equitable access to vaccines with evidence-based programs for bereaved children, focusing on areas with greatest disparities.”

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