Currents News Staff
In less than two weeks, millions of kids in the U.S. could be eligible to roll up their sleeves for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“How are we going to end the pandemic?” said National Institute of Health’s Director, Dr. Francis Collins. “The best way to do so is to have a maximum number of individuals immune, and that’s what vaccines offer you and if that includes kids, that’s all the more reason to send this virus packing.”
Pfizer is already packing, ready and waiting to ship out its COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. It will consist of two doses, three weeks apart and each a third of a normal dose.
Pfizer says it’s about 90-percent effective against symptomatic infection.
The FDA’s vaccine advisers are scheduled to meet tomorrow, Oct. 26, to make their recommendation to the FDA, which has already said the benefits outweigh the risks.
So if and when the FDA formally makes the emergency use authorization, Pfizer is ready to get shipping.
“So it will be available for use once there’s hopefully a positive vote from the CDC,” said former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. “So it could be as early as Nov. 4 and 5 that you can go into some locations and get your child vaccinated.”
The nation’s 28 million kids in that age group could get their first COVID-19 vaccine in just about a week and a half.
But ultimately, it’s up to parents.
“Parents ought to look at that discussion, see what the experts are saying,” said Dr. Collins. “I don’t want to get ahead of the CDC’s and FDA’s advisory process. Let’s see what they say, but the data preliminarily looks very good. I think it could make a huge difference. It would be pivotal.”
Pivotal to ending this pandemic.