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WASHINGTON (Erie News Now) – By the end of next week, millions of kids in the US could be eligible to roll up their sleeves for a covid-19 vaccine.
When the FDA meets today they will be discussing the vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 and vaccine advisers are already saying the benefits outweigh the risks.
An FDA advisory panel could give the green light to the covid vaccine for young children as soon as today.
Local Pediatrician from AHN Saint Vincent, Dr. Anne Zomick explains what this could mean, “hopefully we will have less infection and the kids will be in school more, we won’t have quarantine, the kids being home, potentially being exposed to someone else at school, so that should certainly help a lot.”
If the CDC ultimately endorses the two shot, lower dose vaccine, about 28 million children would be eligible.
“Two doses from Pfizer, 3 weeks apart and it will still take a couple of weeks after that to have good antibodies response,” says Dr. Zomick. “The sooner we can get it going, the sooner we will have protection for the kids as well.”
Those shots could start going into the arms of 5 to 11 year olds as soon as next week.
“Huge population of those who are not vaccinated at this point,” says Dr. Zomick. “Of course many of their parents have been vaccinated, so hopefully these children will be vaccinated as well and that will make a difference in the herd immunity for us.”
But ultimately it’s up to the parents whether or not they get their child vaccinated as Pfizer says they’re already packing, ready and waiting to ship out it’s vaccine for kids.
“It goes both ways, a lot of people have concerns and questions but, once you can answer their questions and find out exactly what it is that worries them about it, that often helps,” says Dr. Zomick about whether or not her patients parents will get them vaccinated. “But most people are very excited and eager. The parents have been vaccinated and they can’t wait for their kids to be vaccinated and feel like they’re doing a good job protecting their children.”
If both the FDA and CDC approve the two dose shot for emergency use authorization, kids in that age group could start getting the shot as soon as November 4.
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