White House lays out Pfizer vaccine plan for children as young as 5

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Approval could travel arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent period for kids 5 to 11 years old

In this Feb. 5, 2021, record photo, the Pfizer logo is displayed astatine the company's office successful New York. Pfizer asked the U.S. authorities Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, to let usage of its COVID-19 vaccine successful children ages 5 to 11 -- and if regulators agree, shots could statesman wrong a substance of weeks. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Pfizer vaccine for Covid-19 could person national support for kids from 5 to 11 years aged successful aboriginal November, according to a program laid retired by the White House connected Wednesday.

More than two-thirds of eligible Americans who are 12 years and older are afloat vaccinated against Covid-19, and that fig could soon grow further the White House acknowledged.

“If authorized, Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 done 11 volition marque an further 28 cardinal Americans eligible for vaccination,” said Jeff Zients, who is the White House coronavirus effect coordinator.

Wolfson Children’s Hospital main of pediatric infectious diseases Dr. Mobeen Rathore said the information truthful acold is encouraging.

“It shows that the vaccine should beryllium effectual successful children 5 to 11 years of age,” Dr. Rathore said.

He said kids would person the aforesaid vaccine already approved for adults but successful smaller doses.

“There’s nary grounds that the vaccine successful immoderate mode hampers the child’s maturation oregon development,” helium said. “It’s a macromolecule that erstwhile you springiness it, it benignant of metabolizes. [It’s] not adjacent successful the assemblage anymore aft it does its work.”

He said astatine most, kids could person a low-grade fever oregon soreness aft getting the shot.

The White House said it volition enactment with section acquisition officials to bring vaccination clinics to schools. A spokesperson with Duval County Public Schools said it’s excessively soon to speculate connected what whitethorn happen.

A spokesperson with the metropolis of Jacksonville said the backing for vaccine sites is expected to proceed astatine slightest done the extremity of the year.

“The fig of wellness providers and retail locations offering vaccines continues to increase, truthful we are assured determination volition beryllium a multitude of opportunities for children to beryllium vaccinated erstwhile eligible,” said Stephanie Burch, who is the lawman main administrative serviceman for the City of Jacksonville.

Dr. Rathore recommends parents instrumentality their kids to their pediatricians to get vaccinated arsenic soon arsenic they can.

“The astir important happening to retrieve is it’s a harmless and effectual vaccine, and it’ll support your children,” helium said. “It’ll support radical astir them, and the sooner we tin get our children vaccinated, the sooner we tin get backmost to mean life.”

The White House reported much than 25,000 pediatricians and superior attraction providers person already signed up to springiness Covid-19 vaccines to kids.

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