White House Says First Vaccine Dose for Kids Below 5-Years-Old Possible by June 21st

Pres. Joe Biden’s administration revealed on Thursday that kids below 5 years old might be able to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose as soon as June 21, if federal regulators approve the authorization for the shots for the said age group.

Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 coordinator, laid down the administration’s plan for the final remaining age group that was ineligible to get the vaccine. According to Jha, the FDA’s outside panel of advisers is scheduled to meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna for younger kids. Shipments to pediatric care facilities and doctors’ offices would start soon after the authorization from the FDA has been granted, with the first doses possibly administered the following week.

First Vaccine Dose for Kids Under 5 Possible a Week After Authorization

He also said states can start placing orders for the pediatric COVID-19 vaccines on Friday, also mentioning that the administration has 10 million doses available as the initial supply. He also stated that it may take several days for the vaccines to arrive in certain parts of the country and for appointments to be widespread

“Our expectation is that within weeks every parent who wants their child to get vaccinated will be able to get an appointment,” Jha said. The timeline laid out by the White House would give parents and guardians the opportunity to have their kids fully vaccinated in time for the start of the next school year.

The current administration has also been pressing states to give priority to large-volume sites, such as children’s hospitals, and to make vaccine appointments accessible outside regular work ous so that it would be easier for parents to get their children vaccinated.

For the White House, getting rid of the last significant age group who are not eligible for vaccines will go far in creating confidence among Americans who feel wary to go back to a lot of their pre-pandemic activities, aiding the U.S. to recover from the pandemic.

Jha also acknowledged the frustration felt by parents of young kids who have been waiting for over a year for the vaccine for their kids.

“At the end of the day we all want to move fast, but we’ve got to get it right,” he said.

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