Pfizer asks FDA to approve expansion of COVID booster eligibility to children ages 5 to 11

Yahoo Finance reporter Anjalee Khemlani shares the latest updates on Pfizer's COVID booster, which could soon be approved for children ages 5-11.

Video transcript

RACHELLE AKUFFO: Well, Pfizer is asking the FDA to expand eligibility of its COVID-19 booster shot to children aged 5 to 11. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani joins us with the details. Anjalee, what do we need to know?

ANJALEE KHEMLANI: Well, Rachelle, what we do need to keep track of is where we are right now with all these filings. So as we know, right now, Pfizer's booster is available for those 12 and up. It's now adding 5 to 11 years old to its list. Meanwhile, Moderna has already gotten approved for 18 and up. And it has just recently asked for 6 and up in those two different age groups that it has, 6 through 11 and then 12 to 17. And the youngest of the lot is where we still have some information pending, as well as Novavax.

So those are the two sort of unknowns right now. But as it stands, the US really set to roll out boosters for the different age groups pretty shortly. The FDA has been going through these pretty quickly, compared to earlier doses and earlier shots in the past. So should hear more on that pretty soon.

RACHELLE AKUFFO: And of course, COVID is still lingering, Anjalee. Even the Pfizer CEO testing positive for COVID over the weekend. What are the details there?

ANJALEE KHEMLANI: Well, Rachelle, this is Albert Bourla's second round with COVID. And this coming, of course, as we know, Omicron with its infectiousness level. He said in a tweet that he's tested positive, is feeling well and symptom-free. He has not yet had his own new bivalent booster because he-- again, going back to the point where this is his second round, the CDC guidelines recommend that you wait three months before getting your booster. And as well as the fact that he also had Paxlovid the last time. So there are some questions about whether or not he really got some protection while getting that treatment. So really just a real live case scenario at a high level of what the country is dealing with right now.