Gov. Edwards, LDH Officials Get COVID Boosters and Flu Shots
October 6, 2021
Coast Guard searching for person in the water near Main Pass, Louisiana
October 7, 2021
This morning, Pfizer announced they are seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for their Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.
In September, Pfizer released details of their trial that showed its Covid-19 vaccine was safe and generated a strong antibody response in children ages 5 to 11. The trial included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11 who received a two-dose regimen of the vaccine, given 21 days apart. This trial used only a 10-microgram dose instead of the 30-microgram dose that has been used for those 12 and older.
The FDA will have to decide if there’s enough evidence that the shots are safe and will work for younger children. An independent expert panel will publicly debate the evidence on Oct. 26. FDA officials had previously stated that once vaccine data for younger children was submitted, the agency could authorize a vaccine for younger children in a matter of weeks instead of months.
On October 4, the Louisiana Department of Health reported the state’s ninth pediatric death from COVID-19 in state’s fourth surge. In total, 18 children younger than 18 have died from COVID in Louisiana.
“Since mid-July, we have mourned the loss of a child to COVID nine times. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but that village also has the responsibility of protecting its children. Masks and vaccines are the protection we have available to us, and we all must do our part,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer and Medical Director.
In Louisiana, there have been 23,089 total cases reported in children ages 0-4 and 95,315 cases in children ages 5-17.
