A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel will consider whether the US should become the first country in the world to green light the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine for children aged between 5 and 11 years.
Scientists at the agency have said the protection from Covid-19 offered by the jab to children would “clearly outweigh” the risk of myocarditis, a heart problem that has been reported in rare instances after vaccination.
On Tuesday external advisers will review the evidence and make a recommendation to US authorities on whether to proceed with the rollout of shots for five to 11 year olds — a process the Biden administration has said could begin within weeks.