Month: October 2021

The vaccines advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Tuesday to recommend that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine be approved for children between 5 and 11 years old. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee convened to hear presentations for several hours before it held the vote. The FDA will consider the recommendation before deciding whether to grant emergency authorization for smaller doses vaccine for children in the younger age range. Last week, the pharma company said that the doses were better than 90% effective in children 5-11.

To date, fewer than 100 children between 5 and 11 have died from COVID-19 and 8,300 have been hospitalized, said Dr. Peter Marks, who heads the FDA vaccines division. If the FDA gives approval for the vaccine for younger children, it would also need to be approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

On Monday, Moderna said that smaller doses of its vaccine in children of the same age group has proven to be safe and spurs an antibody response in recipients in late-stage clinical trials.

President Joe Biden nominated the Federal Communications Commission’s acting chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, to fill the post permanently, which would make her the agency’s first female chief. Rosenworcel took over as acting head of the FCC on Jan. 21 after former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stepped down from his role upon Biden’s inauguration. Rosenworcel has served eight years as a commissioner within the agency. She previously served as the senior communications counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The White House said in a statement: “During her time at the agency, she has worked to promote greater opportunity, accessibility, and affordability in our communications services in order to ensure that all Americans get a fair shot at 21st century success. From fighting to protect an open internet, to ensuring broadband access for students caught in the Homework Gap through the FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund, to making sure that households struggling to afford internet service stay connected through the Emergency Broadband Benefit program, she has been a champion for connectivity for all.”

The White House also said Biden nominated Gigi Sohn to be a commissioner on the FCC, a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and a Benton senior fellow and public advocate. Sohn previously served as counselor to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. The White House said: “Gigi is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable, and democratic communications networks. For over 30 years, Gigi has worked to defend and preserve the fundamental competition and innovation policies that have made broadband Internet access more ubiquitous, competitive, affordable, open, and protective of user privacy.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Rosenworcel would be the first woman to head the FCC. If Sohn is confirmed, she’ll be the first openly LGBTQ commissioner on the FCC.

Editorial credit: DCStockPhotography / Shutterstock.com