Pfizer & FDA Postpone Highly Anticipated Meeting, Could Pump Breaks On Vaccines For Young Children

Pfizer and the FDA have pumped the brakes on fast tracking a vaccine for kids four and under. 

A highly anticipated FDA meeting scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed. 

"Most kids don't get as sick with COVID although they can, but they can spread it," said OU Health's Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler. 

That's why he thinks getting kids 6 months to four years vaccinated is important. Right now, only children five and up can get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. 

"The larger proportion of the population that we have that has some antibody resistance to the infection the fewer cases we'll see," said Dr. Bratlzer. 

Friday the FDA announced they were delaying their highly anticipated meeting, so they could get more data from Pfizer. 

"Not all the participants started trials at the exact same time, and so it takes some awhile before you have the number in the trial to generate the data you need," said CEO and President of the Lynn Institute Carlos Blanco. 

He said getting a better idea of the efficacy and the effects of a third dose is the main issue. 

"So, we're looking at some preliminary data from Pfizer, but it's significant for them to consider whether kids are going to need a third shot or perhaps a change in the dose of their first two vaccines," said Blanco. 

He said the dose being used for these trials are much smaller than the adult dose. 

"Pfizer started with a thirty-microgram dose for adults, and in the kids its somewhere between seven to ten micrograms," said Blanco. 

Another issue raised on CBS' Face the Nation is that this is all happening during the Omicron surge. 

"So, if they wait a little longer, if they administer the third dose in that clinical trial, they're not only going to have perhaps a better measure of effectiveness from this trial, but they'll also have a settled data set," said former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. 

Blanco told News 9 it should give people more confidence in vaccine makers, as they try ensure they are putting out a product that will truly help prevent COVID.