PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The CDC has given Pfizer’s vaccine the green light for use in children ages 5 to 11, with distribution to begin immediately.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 14-0 on the question of whether this Pfizer COVID vaccine should be recommended for kids at that age group. The recommendation went to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky for a final decision with her team, which she approved.
The CDC said kids in the age group are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, with more than 1.9 million cases reported and more than 8,300 hospitalizations through mid-October.
Researchers said hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are similar to other infectious diseases, but they point out the COVID-19 rates were amid significant mitigation efforts.
As for concerns about side effects, it was repeatedly said during the meeting possible complications for the virus are far worse than negative outcomes from the vaccine.
"Parents should feel comforted, not just that their children will be protected, but that this vaccine has gone through the necessary and rigorous evaluation that ensures the vaccine is safe and highly effective," Walensky said during Monday’s White House COVID-19 Response briefing.
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Researchers say COVID-19 vaccines have the most intensive monitoring system in history, and that will continue for this age group.
Parents and guardians can enroll children in the V-Safe program to give an update each day through the first week, once a week through three months, then at three, six and 12 months.
The CDC said the vaccine is safe for children who previously had COVID-19.
The Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 is about one-third the dose for adults and teens. It will still be two doses, three weeks apart.
The vaccine started to move following the Food and Drug Administration’s decision on Friday to approve the kid-size doses for emergency use authorization.
"Over the next couple of days, several million doses will start arriving at local pediatricians and family doctor’s offices, pharmacies, children’s hospitals, community health centers, rural health clinics and other locations," Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 Response Team coordinator, said during the briefing.
The administration of President Joe Biden said it has secured enough doses for 28 million children in this 5-11 age group. The vials will come with orange labels and caps.
The Pfizer doses that are out now, which have purple labels and caps, cannot be used, because children in the younger age group are supposed to get 10 micrograms of the vaccine, which is one-third of what older kids and adults get.
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Zients said, following CDC approval, shots would begin to go out this week, but the kids' vaccination program would be "fully up and running" in the week of Nov. 8.
"Parents will be able to schedule appointments at convenient sites they know and trust to get their kids vaccinated," Zients said.
The FDA and Pfizer said the vaccine for children is nearly 91% effective and there were no serious side effects among the 3,100 children in the age group who are participating in an ongoing study.
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