While many states require measles, mumps, hepatitis A and B, and polio vaccinations for school-age children, Dr. Anthony Fauci is now supporting COVID-19 vaccination mandates for kids going to school.
Fauci, in an interview with CNN, reminded the public that vaccine mandates are not new. He went on to say that he thinks it's a "good idea" to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for kids above the age of 12 who are attending school this fall.
"This is not something new," Fauci said.
"We have mandates in many places in schools, particularly public schools, that if in fact, you want a child to come in -- we've done this for decades and decades requiring (vaccines for) polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis ... So this would not be something new, requiring vaccinations for children to come to school."
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As the Delta variant continues to spread amongst children, the number of COVID-19 cases have continued to rise, leaving many calling for vaccinations before school starts this fall.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reported that "as of August 19, over 4.59 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Over 180,000 cases were added the past week, reaching levels of the previous winter surge of 2020-21."
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for kids under the age of 12. While the FDA has approved the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, it is only for those older than 16.
Some health experts have shared that the vaccine could receive approval for younger Americans within the coming months. Trials for the COVID-19 vaccines for kids younger than 12 have been going on for some time now. In March 2021, Pfizer and Moderna announced the start of their clinical trials, according to Forbes.
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The FDA would like to see at least five to six months of data from trials before approving the vaccine for younger age groups.
The director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, shared that Pfizer is expected to present its clinical trial findings for kids from ages 5 to 11 to the FDA next month, NPR reported.
Despite the data being ready and reported, Collins still thinks it may be months before it is approved for emergency use for kids.
"I've got to be honest, I don't see the approval for kids — 5 to 11 — coming much before the end of 2021," Collins said.
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In some cases, parents who have been worried about Delta have started asking their pediatricians for their kids under 12 to get vaccinated, despite it not being approved, Insider reported.
The Center for Disease Control has not changed its recommendations for kids under 12, but it does recommend that kids over 12 get vaccinated and that students wear masks in the classroom this school year.