White House to lay out plan to vaccinate kids ages 5 to 11 -NBC News
20/10/2021 13:10
WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on
Wednesday will outline its plan to vaccinate millions of kids
ages 5 to 11 as soon as the COVID-19 shot is approved for
younger children in coming weeks ahead of the holiday season,
NBC News reported.
It is working to set up vaccination clinics in partnership
with 100 to 200 children's hospitals nationwide, it reported.
U.S. President Joe Biden's White House COVID-19 response
team is scheduled to hold a news conference at 8:45 a.m. (1345
GMT).
Food and Drug Administration officials are reviewing Pfizer
Inc PFE.N and BioNTech SE's BNTX.O 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.
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 working to make sure
there was enough supply and locations to inoculate kids ages 5
to 11.
The administration is laying the groundwork to ease
distribution, including pre-packaging the smaller pediatric
vials and is also looking to doctors offices and pharmacies
along with children's hospitals.
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)
((sheavey@thomsonreuters.com; +1-202-898-8300;))