Children Covid vaccine program ‘totally up and operating’ subsequent week: White Home

The federal Covid-19 vaccine distribution program for kids ages 5 to 11 can be “totally up and operating” subsequent week if the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention approves Pfizer and BioNTech’s doses for that age group, White Home coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients mentioned Monday.

The Biden administration has already begun transferring 15 million vaccine doses from Pfizer to facilitate immunizations of youthful youngsters at pediatricians’ workplaces, pharmacies, hospitals and well being facilities, Zients mentioned at a White Home Covid briefing. Vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds may start this week, Zients mentioned. Nonetheless, the CDC should first authorize the photographs after the company’s advisory committee meets Tuesday to debate Pfizer’s vaccine knowledge for younger youngsters.   

“Beginning the week of Nov. 8, the children vaccination program can be totally up and operating,” Zients mentioned. “Dad and mom will be capable of schedule appointments at handy websites they know and belief to get their youngsters vaccinated.”

The U.S. has acquired sufficient Pfizer doses to vaccinate the entire nation’s 28 million youngsters ages 5 to 11 towards the virus, Zients mentioned. The administration is working with greater than 20,000 well being suppliers to distribute the photographs, Zients mentioned, including that the method will launch with 15 million photographs earlier than “thousands and thousands of extra doses” turn into accessible every week.

The Meals and Drug Administration accredited Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds on Friday, reporting that 146 youngsters in that age group had died from the coronavirus as of Oct. 17. Pfizer researchers informed the FDA’s advisory committee that their product was greater than 90% efficient at blocking symptomatic Covid circumstances in younger youngsters, and the photographs are a 3rd of the dosage that adults obtain.

CDC officers mentioned throughout a presentation earlier than the FDA’s advisory panel that weight problems, lung illness and neurological circumstances have been a number of the comorbidities in youngsters that might trigger harmful Covid problems. Covid outbreaks have led to greater than 2,000 college closures – impacting greater than 1 million youngsters and 68,000 academics – nationwide since August, they mentioned.

Kids ages 5 to 11 signify roughly 9% of the nation’s reported Covid circumstances, based on FDA knowledge offered to the panel.