WASHINGTON, D.C. (1010 WINS) — COVID-19 vaccines will “very likely” be available for children ages 5 to 11 within the first two weeks of November, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.
“If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval and the recommendation from the CDC, it's entirely possible if not very likely that vaccines will be available for children from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November," the White House chief medical advisor told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Fauci’s forecast comes after Pfizer announced its COVID-19 vaccine is almost 91% effective in stopping symptomatic infections among children ages 5-11.
A Food and Drug Administration panel is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss whether to authorize the vaccine for the demographic.
The federal government has approved booster shots from all three approved vaccines for specific populations — and has permitted a “mix-and-match” approach that allows recipients to get boosters from a different vaccine from their initial shots.
For Pfizer and Moderna, boosters are available to people 65 years of age or older and those who have underlying conditions — as well as any adult 18 years or older who work in higher-risk, public-facing jobs.
The Johnson & Johnson shot is available to anyone 18 years of age or older, two months after they have received their first shot.
“We would hope that people, if available, would get the boost from the original product,” Fauci said. “But, if not, there's the flexibility of what we're calling mixing and matching, in other words, getting something other than the time of the first shot.”
Fauci said anyone with questions about mixing and matching shots should consult their physician, while stressing the practice is safe and effective.
“I think the good news about this... is that it allows a considerable degree of flexibility for people to get what we hope they will get, namely, a booster that will increase and optimize their protection,” he said.
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