A statement has been released by the White House on Wednesday saying that it is prepared to immediately roll out COVID-19 immunizations for children aged 5 to 11 if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for that age group is approved by the FDA and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Biden administration officials, the administration has purchased enough doses for all 28 million children in that age group. It will provide it in smaller packages with essential supplies such as smaller needles to make it easier to get to physicians, pediatricians, and community health centers.
Good News For Kids As FDA Allows Pfizer To Be Given To Young Kids
The government would collaborate with state and local officials to make the vaccine accessible in more than 25,000 physicians’ offices and health care facilities, 100 children’s hospital systems, pharmacies, schools, and community health centers, according to the proposal.
During different phases of the pandemic, there have been people and experts greatly concerned with the immunity of kids, especially in the age group of 5 to 11.
The good news is now the vaccines are present in the market that can help kids to counter the viral infection. The samples studied by the experts during clinical trials have shown effective results in kids after vaccinations, and hence they can be saved from the negative effects of the virus.
The management will also launch a national government education effort to educate parents and guardians about the vaccination and answer their queries. Misinformation regarding medicine, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, is one of the hurdles to vaccinating both children and adults.
Following the FDA’s approval, Pfizer intends to distribute millions of vials of the pediatric vaccine—in orange caps to avoid confusion with the purple-capped doses for everyone else—to doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and other immunization locations. Once the CDC releases its decision, eligible children will receive two vaccinations three weeks apart.
While children are at a lesser risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 than older individuals, 5- to 11-year-olds have been badly impacted, with over 8,300 hospitalizations, with around one-third requiring intensive care. According to the FDA, 146 fatalities in that age category have been documented.
With the mutated and more dangerous delta variant spreading, the government has recorded over 2,000 coronavirus-related school closings since the beginning of the school year, affecting over a million students. The American Academy of Pediatrics hailed the FDA’s decision as well and stated that clinicians were “standing by” to speak with parents. Vaccinating this age group is “a critical step in keeping kids healthy and giving their families peace of mind,” according to the academy’s president, Dr. Lee Savio Beers.
The FDA’s independent scientific advisors voted earlier this week that the pediatric vaccine’s projected advantages exceed potential dangers. However, other panelists stated that not all children will need to be vaccinated and that the doses should be targeted to those who are at higher risk of contracting the virus.
According to official data, about 70% of 5- to 11-year-olds hospitalized in the United States for COVID-19 had additional significant medical issues, such as asthma or obesity. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of children admitted to hospitals are Black or Hispanic, reflecting long-standing inequities in the disease’s impact.
The extent to which Pfizer’s vaccine should be utilized will be a crucial factor for the CDC and its advisors, who make official recommendations to pediatricians and other medical experts. According to a Pfizer trial of 2,268 students, the vaccine was roughly 91 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections, based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given fake shots vs. just three who were immunized.
