Children aged five to 11 years old will very soon receive their doses of the COVID-19 vaccine after the White House announced yesterday that it is all set to roll out COVID-19 vaccines quickly.
An NPR report said the younger population will get vaccinated if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine developed for the said age group gets authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The government officials stated that the administration has purchased enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for all 28 million children belonging to the said age group and will offer it in smaller packages with essential supplies such as needles to easier reach physicians and pediatricians as well as community health centers.
In a news briefing held yesterday morning, Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said should the CDC and FDA authorize the COVID-19 for children, "we will be ready to get shots in arms."
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A 13-year-old boy receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Excelsior Academy.
COVID-19 Vaccine for 5-11-Year-Old Kids
The Pfizer vaccine could be cleared for use in young individuals aged five to 11 years old within a number of weeks, officials explained.
A similar PressNewsAgency report said the independent advisory committee meeting of the FDA meeting is slated for October 26. The independent advisory committee meeting, on the other hand, is slated for November 2 to 3.
Essentially, the Pfizer vaccine at present, has gained approval for use in adult individuals, and the federal government has authorized it in children aged 12 to 17 for emergency use, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported.
According to the White House officials, they were announcing the plan to vaccinate children under the said age range before the availability of the vaccine was authorized for that particular age group in order for them to be "operationally ready" for the doses to be deployed as soon as the approval took place.
Soon to be Available at Over 25,000 Vaccination Sites
Under the plan, the government will work with state and local leaders to make the vaccine available to over 25,000 offices of pediatricians and primary care locations. It will also be available at around 100 children's hospital systems, pharmacies, schools, and community health centers. The US government is also set to roll out a national public education campaign to educate parents and guardians about the COVID-19 vaccine, and it will also solicit questions.
Collective Responsibility
According to US Surgeon General Vivek Murphy, the campaign would be beneficial for the heading off of one of the barriers to getting people vaccinated, be it in adults or children, specifically, misinformation about the drug.
It is the reason they are making sure that it is trusted messengers backed with scientific credibility who are going out there talking about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Nevertheless, continued Murphy, it is their collective responsibility, whether one is in the government, the media, or even individuals, to help avoid the flow and transmission of misinformation over the Internet.
Related information about the vaccine for children is shown on NBC Bay Area's YouTube Video Below:
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