It is already a fact, in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination has been approved for the missing age group, children between 6 months and 5 years of age. This was indicated last Friday by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and later, on Saturday, it was corroborated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the same country, a key requirement for it to be begin to administer in these minors.
And it is that, the committee of experts of both organizations have considered that injecting the doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to the smallest children has greater advantages than risks, it is for this reason that they have taken the step of urgently approving their use in This age group, which although not one of the most vulnerable, could help the spread of the virus and could have long-term effects on its development.
Until now, the Pfizer vaccine was being administered to children and adults from 5 years of age, while the Moderna vaccine could only be given to those over 17 years of age. Now Pfizer will be able to inject children between 6 months and 4 years of age in a three-dose vaccine schedule, and Moderna will be able to inject children between 6 months and 17 years of age with two doses separated by a month.
The benefits outweigh the risks of vaccines
The United States has already announced that it has prepared some 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that will be destined for children under 5 years of age whose parents decide if they want them to be vaccinated. They are already distributed in medical centers, hospitals and clinics and they believe that the vaccination of this age group will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21.
The FDA and CDC have approved the vaccination with Pfizer and Moderna in children between 6 months and 5 years, which could begin to be administered as of June 21
“Together, with science at the forefront, we have taken another important step in our nation’s fight against COVID-19. We know that millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can. I encourage parents and caregivers who have questions to talk to their local doctor, nurse or pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccines and the importance of protecting their children by vaccinating them,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the CDC.
For his part, Dr. Robert M. Califf, Commissioner of the FDA, has stated that “many parents, caregivers and doctors have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those less than 6 months of age. As we have seen with older age groups, we hope that vaccines for younger children will provide protection against the more serious outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death.”
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