![](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/GLMVIMVBHDZEMILBBMP5HYRDQY.jpg?auth=233744ee41a515867760d28288d1104232b8c7c8d2c68a2ff071af5f67f831ee&width=16&height=2&quality=70&smart=true)
Is the Covid-19 vaccine safe for children?
Yes, US regulators authorized Pfizer's vaccine for younger children after millions of 12- to 17-year-olds already safely got the shot, the only one available for children in the country.
Those ages 5 to 11 will get just a third of the dose given to teens and adults. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the kid-size doses on Friday, and next the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will recommend who should get them.
A study found kid-size doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were 91 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19. The 5- to 11-year-olds developed virus-fighting antibodies as strong as those of teens and young adults who got regular doses, with similar or fewer annoying reactions such as sore arms, fever or achiness.