Vaccines for the youngest kids this summer?

Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine is effective for small children; the US announces an Indo-Pacific economic partnership to counter China.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Pfizer/BioNTech says vaccine works for children under 5 

Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images

• On Monday, Pfizer/BioNTech announced three low doses of its vaccine effectively prevent symptomatic Covid-19 in children from 6 months to 4 years old. [Associated Press / Lauran Neergaard]
• Mid-trial results showed the vaccine — which is one-tenth the strength of adult vaccines — was 80.3 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 in young children during the period when the omicron coronavirus variant was dominant. Pfizer/BioNTech expects to share the complete data with the FDA this week. [CNN / Nadia Kounang]
• The trials also found giving a third dose one month after the first two jabs elicited a similar antibody response in little ones as it did for young adults 16-25. The results have not been peer-reviewed. [StatNews / Helen Branswell]
• Moderna is also seeking approval for two low doses of its vaccine, which it says is 51 percent effective in preventing sickness for children from 6 months to 2 years old and roughly 40 percent effective for 2- to 5-year-olds. [Washington Post / Carolyn Y. Johnson and Laurie McGinley]
• The FDA will convene outside experts to consider Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Modera’s vaccines in June. If approved, young children could begin receiving vaccines in early summer. [NPR / Bill Chappell]

US launches Indo-Pacific economic deal

• The US announced an Asian-Pacific economic initiative with 12 nations, meant to counter Chinese influence, on Monday. [New York Times / Peter Baker and Zolan Kanno-Youngs]
• Along with the US, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework includes Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Together, the bloc accounts for 40 percent of global GDP. [Associated Press / Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani]
• The agreement replaces the US-negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership, which President Donald Trump pulled out of. The bloc has agreed to address digital trade, clean energy, supply chains, and anti-corruption, but many details still need to be worked out. [USA Today / Maureen Groppe]
• The plan will not lower tariffs or open access to US markets like a free trade deal would — an omission that has some experts wondering what’s in it for the other countries. [Politico / Steven Overly]

The FDA and the CDC are investigating an outbreak of salmonella, possibly linked to Jif peanut butter products. [ABC News Lauren Meltzer]

• NYC police are searching for a suspect in a subway shooting that left a 48-year-old man dead on Monday. [Fortune / Tristan Bove]
• On Monday, Australia swore in its new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who promised more action on climate change. Albanese's Labour party secured a comeback after years of conservative government. [BBC / Tiffanie Turnbull]
• Washington, DC, is suing Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for his alleged involvement in the Cambridge Analytica data breach. [The Hill / Rebecca Klar]

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“I haven’t yet been able to answer the question: What are some of the developing countries getting out of it?”

[Charles Freeman, senior vice president for Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce, on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework / Politico]

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