Pfizer says it will ask FDA to authorize COVID-19 boosters for kids 5-11

April 14 (UPI) -- Pharma giant Pfizer said on Thursday that it's recommending COVID-19 booster shots for children between 5 and 11, based on new studies that show the extra dose bolsters their immune response.

The company said that it will submit the study data to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization, a step that would allow younger children nationwide to receive a booster shot.

Based on a study that included 140 children, Pfizer's data show a six-fold increased in antibodies against the wild strain of COVID-19 when the kids received a booster dose six months after their second shot. A subanalysis showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron antibodies.

Pfizer's shots for young children contain a smaller amount of vaccine than adult doses. Children over 12 in the U.S. are already able to receive a booster dose. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

Federal regulators already allow children over 12 to receive a booster dose. A couple weeks ago, the FDA approved a second booster for those over 50.

The FDA gave emergency authorization last October for children 5-11 to receive the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer doses given to children contain a smaller amount of the vaccine than do adult doses.

Pfizer said it and partner BioNTech also plan to share the study data with the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory agencies around the world "as soon as possible."

Pfizer noted in its announcement Thursday that there's a "remote chance" that its vaccine, known commercially as Comirnaty, can cause severe allergic reactions in a small number of recipients that would typically occur shortly after receiving a dose.