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Former FDA chief says COVID vaccine could soon be approved for children

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Posted at 10:43 AM, Sep 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-13 13:01:01-04

On Sunday's edition of "Face the Nation," Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, predicted that by Halloween, the agency could approve an emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old.

On the show, Dr. Gottlieb said by the end of September, Pfizer should have data on its child vaccines and then potentially could be sent to the FDA "very quickly."

Gottlieb added that the FDA could make a determination based on the data in "a matter of weeks, not months," which could then be expected approximately four to six weeks.

According to CBS News, Dr. Gottlieb sits on the drug company's board of directors.

On the show, pediatrician-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital Dr. James Versalovic agreed with Dr. Gottlieb's timeline on the vaccines, saying the data on the trial currently being conducted could possibly be submitted in October.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials, which are conducted among children ages 6 months to 11 years at the hospital, are on track, "they're moving ahead well" and the "children are getting a different dosage, but it's safe and effective."