After allowing the first group of citizens in the United States to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of a clinical environment, the White House has the intention of distributing vaccines to younger children approximately eighteen months of age and above.
On Thursday, a press briefing will be held by the COVID-19 response team at the White House to address the efforts that are being made to get young children vaccinated.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have put in applications to have their vaccines made available to children under the age of five to meet demand. Both the COVID-19 vaccination and the Moderna vaccine are administered in a sequence of three shots; however, the COVID-19 vaccine requires three doses, whilst the Moderna vaccine only requires two.
The White House cites statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration as evidence that low-dose vaccinations are both safe and effective for young children. These numbers can be seen here. According to the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, clearance might be granted as early as the week of June 20.
The United States government now has access to a total of ten million low-dose COVID-19 vaccines, which are accessible for distribution. In the upcoming weeks, according to the White House, vaccines will be made available in a wide variety of locations, including children’s hospitals and neighborhood pharmacies.
There are still around 18 million children who have not been vaccinated against Covid19.
Seventy percent of adults in the United States aged 5 and older are fully protected against the COVID-19 immunization, with senior citizens making up the majority of those who are protected. According to data from the CDC, more than 91% of adults aged 65 and older are fully vaccinated.
On the other hand, vaccination rates have fallen behind among youngsters who are eligible for them. Only 29.2 percent of children aged 5 to 11 have received all of the recommended vaccinations for their age group.