White House lays out plan to vaccinate kids ages 5 to 11 (updated)
20/10/2021 13:55
(Recasts with White House statement)
By Susan Heavey
WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on
Wednesday outlined its plan to vaccinate millions of kids ages 5
to 11 as soon as the COVID-19 shot is approved for younger
children, readying doses and preparing locations ahead of the
busy holiday season.
It is working to set up vaccination clinics in more than 100
children's hospital systems nationwide as well as doctor's
offices, pharmacies and potentially schools, it said.
If Pfizer Inc PFE.N and BioNTech SE's BNTX.O vaccine
wins wider approval, the plan would ensure "it is quickly
distributed and made conveniently and equitably available to
families across the country," the White House said in a
statement, noting regulators will independently weigh approval.
Food and Drug Administration officials are reviewing the
Pfizer/BioNTech application seeking approval of its 2-dose
vaccine for younger children, with its panel of outside advisers
scheduled to weigh in on Oct. 26. The FDA typically follows the
advice of its panel but is not required to do so.
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
will next weigh in on recommendations for the vaccine at a Nov.
2 and 3 meeting, which its director will use in making her own
recommendation.
"We will be ready to begin getting shots in arms in the days
following a final CDC recommendation," the White House said
ahead of an 8:45 a.m. (1345 GMT) news briefing with U.S.
President Joe Biden's White House COVID-19 response team.
Once approved, roughly 28 million more children in the
United States would be eligible to receive what would be the
first U.S.-approved vaccine to ward off the novel coronavirus in
younger kids. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot is already approved for
those ages 12-17, and the companies are still studying it for
those younger than 5.
"We have to be prepared to ensure that we can get vaccines
to families as soon as the FDA and the CDC issue their
decision," U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy told NBC News'
"Today" program.
Murthy said the administration was not looking to get ahead
of health regulators but wanted to lay the groundwork to ease
distribution to ensure there is ample supply and access to
vaccination locations.
While children have a lower rate of death from COVID-19,
many still face illness and long-term symptoms that are still
being studied. Many adults who have been hesitant or opposed to
the COVID-19 vaccine, and even some who did not oppose the
vaccine for themselves, are expected to resist giving the shot
to their children.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Editing by Nick Zieminski and
Philippa Fletcher)
((sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-898-8300;))