FDA preparing to approve Pfizer vaccine for children
Teens could be eligible for coronavirus vaccine next week
Doctors say applying the vaccine to kids under 16 could be a critical step to halting the virus.
WASHINGTON - The FDA is expected to give the ok for kids ages 12 to 15 to get the Pfizer vaccine within the next week or so. Once the CDC approves the recommendation, shots could begin in a matter of days.
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At this time, only people who are 16 and up can get the vaccine.
The preliminary results of the study show that the Pfizer vaccine in children is 100% effective against the virus and kids had side effects similar to young adults including pain, fever, chills, and fatigue – mainly after the second dose.
FDA preparing to approve Pfizer vaccine for children
The FDA is expected to give the ok for kids ages 12 to 15 to get the Pfizer vaccine within the next week or so. Once the CDC approves the recommendation, shots could begin in a matter of days.
The study will continue to monitor the children for two years for more information on long-term protection and safety.
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FOX 5 spoke to Dr. Richard Chung, Duke Health Pediatrician. His 13-year-old son participated in the Pfizer trial.
"The more young people who are given the vaccine, the more immunity we have in a broader community, the safer we’re all going to be," said Chung.
He adds that kids are not immune to the virus and that is why it is important they do not get lost in the shuffle when it comes to the vaccine.
"The broader piece, kids are about a quarter of our whole population and they are in school settings and in households and in the mist of other adults who may have their own vulnerabilities so if we want to get anything approximating herd immunity, if we want to get past this as a society, kids have to be a part of that strategy," said Chung.
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This is just the start. Pfizer and Moderna vaccine will be studying how the vaccine works in children ages 11 years and younger - working their way down to six month old babies.
Most parents Fox 5 interviewed said they would want their child to get vaccinated, but there were also a few who seemed hesitant.
Right now, the Maryland, Virginia, and DC Health Departments are not making it mandatory for kids to get the vaccine before heading back to school because that type of requirement would have to be signed into law first. However, school districts throughout the region are encouraging students to get the shot.