COVID vaccines for children as young as 5 could be approved today. What you should know
Many parents may soon breathe a sigh of relief. Approval for children as young as 5 to get a COVID-19 vaccine could come down as soon as Tuesday.
If advisers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention give the green light, youngsters could begin receiving the Pfizer shot within days, and South Carolina personnel are preparing for the possibility. The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meets Tuesday to consider approval, the next-to-last hurdle before needles can be put into little arms, CNN reports.
Currently, vaccines are only approved for children as young as 12, leaving many younger children unprotected against the coronavirus.
S.C. state epidemiologist Linda Bell told reporters last week she expects vaccine eligibility to be extended to children as young as 5 this week, following a recommendation on the Pfizer vaccine from a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel.
“Getting kids vaccinated as early as possible could really change how our children, their families and our communities can enjoy the holidays,” Bell said.
A Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 is a lower dose than those for older patients, so distribution will have to be carried out differently once the shot is approved.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is working out the details for a pediatric vaccine rollout once final approval comes down, Bell said. Pharmacies could also have the children’s vaccine doses available within days of approval.
The most recent coronavirus surge caused a spike in cases among elementary school-age children, and several children to be hospitalized. Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia reported it was near its maximum capacity as respiratory cases in young children rose in August. Across the country, 650 children have died from COVID-19, according to NPR.
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