The US is set to join a small club of nations vaccinating young children

The advisory committee found that the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks, voting 17-0 in favor with one abstention. If the FDA follows the panel’s advice, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees, shots could be rolled out to younger children as early as next week.

The move came after federal regulators and scientists argued that thousands of children between 5 and 11 had been hospitalized with Covid-19, and nearly 100 children had died over the course of the pandemic.

Covid-19 “is the eighth highest killer of kids in this age group over the past year,” said Dr. Amanda Cohn, a top vaccine expert at the CDC. “Use of this vaccine will prevent deaths, will prevent ICU admissions and will prevent significant long-term adverse outcomes in children.”

Data from Pfizer showed that the vaccine was 90.7% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in children aged 5 to 11. Still, some advisory committee members appeared troubled about making the decision based on limited safety data, circling around the risks of a rare heart condition known as myocarditis.

Pfizer has cut its dose for younger children to one-third of the strength given to people 12 and older. Experts say the lower dose should reduce the risk of side effects.

A pediatric Covid-19 vaccine has been highly anticipated by many parents anxious to protect their children at school, and has become an increasingly pressing issue as holiday gatherings approach.

A handful of countries have already authorized Covid-19 vaccines for kids. In September, Cuba became the first country in the world to vaccinate children as young as 2. Chile, China, El Salvador and the United Arab Emirates have also approved vaccines for younger children.

Many European countries are still weighing up whether to vaccinate children under 12. Meanwhile, in much of the world, vaccinating under-12s is not an option because of a lack of doses.