BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - "The information that we're seeing is encouraging." Dr Joe Chow, Medical Director at Western New York Immediate Care telling BMaz and Beamer Monday, "we're finally going to be able to fill that gap."
The gap Chow is referring to, is the segment of the population that has not been able to get the vaccine.
The Pfizer vaccine for children age 5 to 11 appears headed toward approval, but still needs Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization for emergency use. Pfizer and its German partner Biontech say the optimal dose for younger children will be one third of the standard dose, and that it hopes to present these numbers to regulators soon.
"I don't know how the company came up with a third of the adult dose, but it's prudent to start with less," said Chow. "Kids are not small adults. Kids' immune systems are different. They tend to be more robust than adults. You have to start with the lowest possible dose to get to the desired outcome."
Chow notes that trials on children are ongoing and will need to continue. "This is to ensure that there are not any adverse side effects. We have found with all trials and all vaccines, that you're going to have a small proportion of people who get it that may have some side effects.
"It's up to the FDA to decide whether to approve the vaccine or not. It seems like it will be approved, but nothing is written in stone. There will always be a need for ongoing trials and ongoing collection of data to monitor anything else that can occur from the vaccines."
FDA action on booster shots took much of the nation by surprise late last week when an advisory panel only recommended a third Pfizer shot for those 65 and older as well as some vulnerable populations. "It certainly was not a rubber stamp," said Dr. Chow. "The original recommendation of having everyone 16 and older get boosters was determined to be too big." He said the news may have caused some confusion and created the need for a pause.
When it comes to children, the decisions are seemingly even tougher to make. "I think a lot of parents are going to have questions and they should rely on good sources, such as your pediatrician, for further discussion," said Dr. Chow.
The Delta variant is more transmissible and Chow said we're definitely seeing a surge. "What we have is a virus that is constantly mutating. The current Delta variant is straining many areas of the country with increasing hospital rates. "Hopefully," Chow said, "we can burn it out with increased vaccinations along with social distancing and mask usage."
Dr. Chow thinks the vaccine rollout for children ages 5 to 11 may go the way the rollout initially went for adults. "There's going to be some who want their kid to be vaccinated right away. There will be parents who wait a little bit longer and there will be some who just don't want their kids to get it."
He sees it as another step toward getting back to normal. "Getting the vaccine to this age group is going to get us to this next step."
