‘Covid wax for children 5-11 will be in pediatric offices, school once authorized’

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE submitted data this month to the Food and Drug Administration seeking emergency authorization of the vaccine. The Biden administration said it has procured enough doses to vaccinate the nation’s children and will begin shipping them nationwide if and when the vaccine is approved for use.

White House officials said the focus on pediatricians and primary care offices would help build trust among parents. The initial vaccine rollout for adults focused more on mass vaccination sites.

“Children have different needs than adults, and our operational plan is tailored to address those specific needs in a way that parents and children are familiar and trusting,” White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Ziants said on Wednesday. settings include offering vaccinations.”

A panel of outside experts at the FDA is scheduled to review the data on October 26. Although the agency is not required to follow the group’s recommendation, it usually does. The CDC’s independent advisory committee will meet on November 2-3 to consider the vaccine.

The White House said the administration is coordinating with state and local leaders to distribute the vaccines when approved. If authorized, young children would be given two injections of the vaccine, spaced three weeks apart, just as teens and adults do, but at a lower dose.

Mr Ziants said the dose would be shipped with all the supplies needed to administer the shots, including small needles. The White House said the vaccines will also be shipped in smaller packages containing about 100 doses, and can be stored for up to 10 weeks at standard refrigeration temperatures and up to 6 months at ultracold temperatures.

In addition to pediatricians, primary care offices and pharmacies, the administration also plans to set up vaccination sites in hundreds of schools and community-based clinics with funding and support provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

According to health experts, young children are at a lower risk of serious illness and hospitalization than adults. But more children have been hospitalized in the pandemic than ever before due to the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

The administration is also planning a national public education campaign with schools, state and local health departments, faith leaders and community organizations to increase confidence in the vaccine. Some surveys show that many parents of children aged 5-11 either plan to wait before vaccinating their children or have no plans to vaccinate their children.

A survey published in September by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 34% of parents of children aged 5 to 11 were willing to vaccinate their children as soon as the shot became available.