LOS ANGELES, Jun 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The United States is expected to start COVID-19 vaccination today, for children as young as six months old.
The plan came, after the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off, on the shots for an additional 19 million children across the United States.
The CDC’s advisory panel, on Saturday, unanimously recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages six months through four years, as well as, the Moderna vaccine for children ages six months through five years.
“We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” said CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, in a statement.
The CDC’s move came, a day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended emergency use authorisations, for the two vaccines to include the youngest age group.
This was the last age group in the United States without access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Since the pandemic began, more than 13.5 million U.S. kids tested positive for the virus, according to the latest report of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Although COVID-19 is normally less severe in children than adults, the virus can be life threatening for some kids. COVID-19 is the fifth leading cause of death for children ages one to four, from Mar 1, 2020 to Apr 30, 2022, according to CDC data released on Friday.
The White House said, vaccinations for children under age five would begin today.
The Joe Biden administration procured a significant supply of vaccines for this age group, with 10 million doses available initially and millions more available in the coming weeks, according to a plan released by the White House.
Parents will be able to get their youngest children vaccinated at their pediatricians’ offices, as well as, at pop-up clinics at children’s museums, libraries and child-care sites.– NNN-AGENCIES
