On Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Infectious Disease Expert stated that he expected the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which is for children younger than five, as soon as the month next month.
Blue Star Families (a non-profit organization that assists the families of U.S. military personnel) told Fauci that they expect authorization to give shots soon.
Pfizer currently tests its Covid vaccine with children as young at six months. It reportedly intends to apply for FDA approval shortly. Children as young as 5 years old can receive the Pfizer vaccine.
Already, the U.S. has been included in a limited number of countries who jab children below 12 years old. Children as young at six months could be vaccinated in the United States.
On Wednesday, Dr Anthony Fauci (pictured) stated that Covid vaccines will soon be available to children under five years of age. Pfizer’s shot is being tested in babies as young six months.
U.S. kids are much less likely than in other age groups to be vaccinated. This is because parents have a split opinion about whether or not their child should get vaccinated. Covid also poses little threat to children, and around 50% are not affected.
Fauci expressed hope that the deadline would be within the month, and no later than that. However, he said that he could not guarantee it.
Dec. saw the announcement by the company that the three-dose jab would now be available for children younger than five years old. The two-dose treatment was found to not work in trials.
They would be even smaller. The vaccine is currently administered to adults and children over 12, and children 5-12 receive a 10-microgram shot.
Children younger than 5 years will receive a jab of three micrograms. That’s a third more than the dose for the youngest children.
Last month, the company announced that it had no safety issues in its clinical trials with children aged 6 months to 4 years.
Covid is extremely rare in children, compared to their peers older than them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that the percentage of deaths from Covids caused by the pandemic started in March 2020.
The last American age that is eligible for the shot, 259 out of nearly 860,000 U.S. Covid death cases were among children aged under 5.
Researchers at the University of Utah published a study in October that found 50 percent of Covid-infected children have an asymptomatic condition.
This study also took place during Omicron’s Delta wave. Omicron was America’s dominant strain.
Omicron is milder than Delta or other strains, so it’s likely the risk to children has dropped.
According to a CDC report, Omicron infections are twice as common in all ages and 91% less likely to cause death.
Some people are worried about the little risk that children take from vaccinations. The small chance of myocarditis in some kids may make it worth the cost.
Soumya Swminathan (World Health Organization Chief Scientist) stated that it was not necessary for Covid boosters to be given to children in need.
She stated that the goal was to safeguard those most vulnerable and to prevent death. This included elderly people, patients with immunocompromised conditions, and health workers.
Swaminathan lead’s the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. Since its inception, the agency was critical of Covid’s introduction of booster shots. It believes that there is not enough risk for infection among fully-vaccinated people. This country should therefore instead send doses abroad.
American parents have a split opinion about whether or not to immunize their children.
The U.S. has the lowest vaccination rate for children between five and eleven years of age. According to CDC data only 28% have been given their first shot, while 19% are currently fully vaccinated.
By comparison, almost every American above the age 65 has been given at least one shot and at least 74% have had the jab.