US advisers urge COVID shot for kids 5-11

An influential advisory panel voted on Tuesday that all children ages 5 to 11 should get Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 shots, putting the U.S. on the brink of a major expansion of vaccinations — and a final decision is expected within hours.

The Food and Drug Administration already has OK'd kid-size doses as safe and effective for the younger age group. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines, and its advisers decided Pfizer's shots should be opened to all 28 million children ages 5 to 11.

 If the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, signs off, it will mark the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any COVID-19 vaccine. Shots into little arms could begin this week.