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Coming up, children aged 5 to 11 in the US will soon receive COVID-19 vaccinations directly at pediatric clinics, local pharmacies, and potentially even at schools. This is one of the anticipated activities under the plan to authorize Pfizer vaccinations for elementary school children in the US in the near future.Accordingly, federal regulators will convene in the next two weeks to consider the safety and efficacy of administering low-dose vaccine doses to approximately 28 million children aged 5-11. Once the plan is officially approved, it is expected that after the FDA, along with the CDC, completes consultations and approvals, millions of doses of vaccine along with appropriate small syringes for children will begin to be supplied to providers nationwide. A few days later, vaccination for this group of children will begin to be widely conducted across the United States.Currently in the US, parents are increasingly eager for their children to be vaccinated as soon as possible, especially with winter approaching. It is anticipated that with the current ample vaccine supply, if vaccination is carried out within the next 2 weeks, by Christmas, the majority of children will have received both doses of the vaccine.The White House has announced that over 25,000 pediatricians and healthcare providers have registered to distribute vaccines to elementary school children, along with tens of thousands of other pharmacies continuing to administer COVID-19 vaccines to adults. Additionally, hundreds of clinics affiliated with schools and local communities will receive funding and support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expedite the vaccination process for children. Schools are also expected to serve as vaccination sites, under the guidance of local health authorities.
The primary issue at hand is ensuring clear communication to the public regarding vaccination plans for children, particularly as many parents still harbor doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccination. It is essential to assist parents in understanding that vaccinating their children is both safe and necessary.Despite children being less likely to experience severe COVID-19 illness compared to adults, there have been at least 637 reported deaths related to COVID-19 among individuals aged 18 and below in the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that approximately 6 million children in the country have been infected, with one case recorded since early September. Health officials believe that accelerating the expansion of vaccination plans for children will not only limit cases in this age group but also help reduce COVID-19 transmission from children to adults, especially those vulnerable. Ramping up vaccination for children, regardless of age, will also facilitate the earlier reopening of schools, ensuring a safer return to learning and child development.The United States has secured 65 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children, equivalent to about one-third of the adult and adolescent doses. They will be distributed in smaller packages, each containing about 100 doses, to allow for more suppliers to distribute the vaccine and ease the storage requirements compared to previous doses for adults.In the United States, approximately 219 million children aged 12 and above, accounting for 66% of the total population, have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with nearly 190 million Americans fully vaccinated. For children under 5 years old, Pfizer and Moderna are researching suitable vaccines for this age group, especially for those under 6 months old, with expected results to be announced by the end of this year.According to APFeatured on CNBC
