Infectious disease expert says children between 5-11 could be vaccinated in November
pharmafile | October 25, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
Infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has said that COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11 could be available by early November, in light of the promising data released by Pfizer and BioNTech. A study found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in children.
Dr Fauci is an American physician scientist and immunologist serving as the director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Chief medical Advisor to the President.
“If all goes well and we get regulatory approval and a CDC recommendation, it is entirely possible, if not very likely, that vaccines will be available for children ages 5-11 during the first week or two of November,” Fauci told the ABC’s This Week. Fauci predicted a timetable which could see many children fully vaccinated before the end of the year.
The study found a 91% efficacy for the jab among more than 2,200 children aged 5-11. The most common side effects of the vaccine in children in this age range include fatigue, headache, and chills.
Federal regulators will meet over the next two weeks to weigh the safety and effectiveness of giving low-dose shots to the roughly 28 million children in that age group. The shots are expected to start being distributed on a mass scale early next month, and children aged 5-11 will are expected to soon be able to receive a vaccine at their pediatrician’s office, local pharmacy, and potentially even school.
More than 189.7 million in the US are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of October 20, according to a CDC tracker. Currently, the two-dose vaccine is allowed for use in people ages 12 and older. The FDA is due to meet to discuss and vote on Pfizer’s application.
Ana Ovey
