The United States is preparing to be able to carry out the first injections of the vaccine against COVID-19 in babies and very young children as early as the week of June 20, if the health authorities authorize them urgently by then, announced Thursday the White House.
This age group is the last to not yet be able to be vaccinated in the United States, as in many countries.
The US Medicines Agency (FDA) is due to convene its Specialized Vaccine Advisory Committee on June 15 to recommend whether or not to authorize vaccines from Pfizer for children 6 months to 4 years old (in three doses) and from Moderna for 6 months to 5 years (in two doses).
In the event of a favorable opinion, the FDA could give its authorization in stride. Then a second committee of experts, this time convened by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), will in turn deliver its recommendation on June 18. When the CDC gives final approval, the injections can begin.
“While the FDA and CDC conduct their independent review, the Biden administration is preparing for all scenarios, including starting vaccinations as early as the week of June 20,” the White House said in a statement.
Upon FDA approval, the government can immediately begin shipping 10 million doses across the country, she said, adding that “millions more” would follow.
Injection materials, including small needles, will also be provided.
The vaccines will be available in “thousands of places”, including paediatricians, children’s hospitals, local pharmacies or rural hospitals.
The Pfizer-BioNTech alliance and Moderna have both announced positive results from their clinical trials in these very young children. But the American authorities are currently going through this data themselves and their analysis is eagerly awaited by many parents.