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Topline
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted unanimously Saturday to recommend Covid vaccines for children under 5, in one of the final regulatory steps before shots can go in arms.
Nurses draw vaccine doses from a vial as Maryland residents receive their second dose of the Moderna … [+]
Key Facts
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, is expected to give final approval for the vaccines shortly.
The panel of scientific advisors backed a two-dose version of Moderna’s vaccine for ages 6 months to 5 years and a three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine regimen for ages 6 months to 4 years.
A large-scale rollout of vaccines will commence once Walensky gives approval, paving the way for the first immunizations of young children by next week.
Key Background
Young children represent the last significant chunk of the American population still ineligible for a Covid vaccine, but the shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna cleared several key regulatory hurdles over the past few days. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend the shots, which received full FDA approval on Friday. Moderna’s vaccine for children contains one-fourth the dosage of an adult shot, while Pfizer-BioNTech shots have just one-tenth the dosage.
Surprising Fact
Forty-nine states are set to quickly receive shots to distribute through state programs after pre-ordering shots from the federal government. Florida was the only state to miss the deadline to pre-order shots.
What To Watch For
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last month suggests many parents are hesitant to get their young children vaccinated. Only 18% of respondents said they planned to get their kids vaccinated right away.
Further Reading
Moderna And Pfizer Covid Vaccines For Young Children Endorsed By FDA Panel (Forbes)
FDA Authorizes Covid Vaccines For Children As Young As 6 Months (Forbes)
DeSantis Changes Mind—Allows Florida To Buy Covid Vaccines For Kids 5 And Younger (Forbes)
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