Coronavirus Watch: Vaccine for kids under 5 paused for more data

Pfizer and BioNTech pushed the pause button Friday on the process of authorizing its COVID-19 vaccine for the youngest children.

The companies said in a release that they want to wait until data becomes available on a third dose for children under 5, likely in early April, Paste BN's Karen Weintraub reports. 

Pfizer and BioNTech had originally planned to wait for such data before asking for vaccine authorization. But under pressure from the FDA, the companies requested authorization for two doses in early February, saying they could add a third in the future. Friday's news seems to reverse that and return to their earlier position. Read more here.

It's Friday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

• It's day five of the protest blocking a bridge at the U.S.-Canada border. Truckers calling themselves the Freedom Convoy are opposing a Canadian mandate requiring drivers entering the country to be fully vaccinated or face testing and quarantine requirements. For a brief moment Friday morning, it appeared the standoff might be over as one lane opened to traffic.
• The effectiveness of booster shots wanes after four months, but protection against hospitalization and severe disease still remains strong, a new CDC study found.
• New York City is expected to fire some 3,000 unvaccinated workers Friday, less than 1% of the city's workforce, the New York Times reported.

See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 76% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 64% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck