Clyburn Requests FDA Briefing on Status of Coronavirus Vaccines for Young Children

Washington, D.C. (April 25, 2022) – Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf requesting a staff briefing on the status of coronavirus vaccine candidates for young children. 

“The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization and approval of safe and highly effective vaccines for the majority of Americans have been critical to saving millions of lives and allowing the country to safely emerge from the crisis phase of the coronavirus pandemic.  However, millions of young children still remain unprotected because no vaccine has yet been authorized for children under five,” the Chairman wrote.  “During the surge of the Omicron variant, children younger than five were hospitalized at approximately five times the rate of the previous peak during the height of the Delta variant.  I therefore write today to request a staff briefing on the status of coronavirus vaccine candidates for young children.” 

The Select Subcommittee’s briefing request follows recent reports indicating that FDA is considering postponing its decision on whether to authorize Moderna’s vaccine for children under six until early summer, so that it can be evaluated—and potentially authorized—at the same time as Pfizer’s vaccine for children five and younger.  Such a decision could delay the potential authorization and administration of the Moderna vaccine by several weeks. 

Chairman Clyburn requested that FDA brief Select Subcommittee staff by May 9, 2022, on the status of vaccines for young children, including whether recent reports of a potential delay of FDA’s decision are accurate and the scientific basis or other rationale for any such delay. 

Click here to read the letter in full.