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White House details plan to vaccinate kids age 5-11 as Pfizer shots clearance nears
The Biden administration said that it has procured enough Covid-19 vaccine doses to support the vaccination of 28 million children if the FDA authorises Pfizer shots and the CDC recommends it.
Ahead of the expected authorisation of Pfizer shot for younger children, the White House on Wednesday announced a detailed plan on vaccination against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for kids aged 5-11 years. The Biden administration said that it has procured enough Covid-19 vaccine doses to support the vaccination of 28 million children if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorises Pfizer shots and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the same.
“The vaccine will have packaging available in smaller configurations that will make it easier for physicians’ offices and other smaller, community-based providers to offer the vaccine to kids and their families,” the White House said in a statement.
Vaccination for children will be available at more than 25,000 pediatric offices and other primary care centres across the United States, as per the plan. Apart from including more numbers of pediatric and primary care providers, the administration is working to provide vaccine supply in smaller package sizes to make it easier for physicians’ offices and community-based providers to offer the vaccine to kids and their families.
About two-thirds of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated in the United States as the administration continues to expand its coverage. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has criticised the move to vaccinate children as several countries around the world are yet to vaccinate frontline workers and vulnerable populations, the US and other Western countries are moving swiftly to administer Covid shots to the younger population.
"The start of a vaccination program for children ages 5-11 will depend on the independent FDA and CDC process and timeline, but our planning efforts mean that we will be ready to begin getting shots in arms in the days following a final CDC recommendation,” the White House said.
