(Washington) Some 28 million children aged 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, a new step in the vaccination campaign that was eagerly awaited by many many parents.
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) officially recommended injections for this age group on Tuesday evening, after authorization late last week by the US Drug Agency (FDA).
US President Joe Biden immediately hailed a “turning point” in the fight against the pandemic. “This will allow parents to put an end to months of worrying for their children,” he said.
The vaccine will always be given as two injections, three weeks apart. The dosage has been adjusted to 10 micrograms per injection, compared to 30 micrograms for the older groups.
“We know that millions of parents want to immunize their children,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement, encouraging those with “questions” to talk to health professionals.
The first injections of young children could in theory begin as early as Tuesday evening.
The government had largely anticipated the decision, procuring enough doses for all children in that age group, and starting to send millions across the country.
Since FDA clearance, “there hasn’t been a time when teams haven’t picked up, packaged, and shipped vaccines,” Jeff Zients, the pandemic coordinator, said Monday at the White House. “They have been working 24 hours a day and will continue to do so. ”
The vaccination campaign for young children “will reach its full capacity the week of November 8,” he said.
Pharmacies, pediatricians, schools
Among 5 to 11 year olds, more than 1.9 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the United States, more than 8,300 hospitalizations, more than 2,300 cases of MIS-C (pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome), and about 100 of deceased.
According to clinical trials conducted by Pfizer on thousands of children, the vaccine has been shown to be 90.7% effective against symptomatic forms of the disease.
In addition to preventing them from falling ill, the expected benefits also include a decrease in the number of class closures, and a possible reduction in the transmission of the epidemic to the general population.
The doses will be available in pharmacies, pediatric hospitals, but also in offices of pediatricians, family physicians, and some schools.
The caps of the vials intended for children will be orange, and thus easily recognizable compared to the purple caps of the vials for the older age groups.
According to a survey presented Tuesday by the CDC and conducted in September among 1,000 parents, 57% said they would “definitely” or “probably” vaccinate their child.
Among the hesitant, the concerns mainly concern the short or long term side effects.
“Excellent evidence”
Earlier today, an expert committee convened by the CDC had unanimously recommended Pfizer’s vaccine for ages 5 to 11.
These independent scientists reviewed, during a day of discussions broadcast live, the data available on the impact of the epidemic in children, the effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine, and its possible side effects.
The main concern was the risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, detected in adolescents and young adults (especially males) after vaccination with Pfizer or Moderna.
Health authorities have confirmed nearly 880 cases in those under 30 (more than 600 remain to be assessed), of which about 830 required hospitalization.
Most cases resolve within a few days.
Nine deaths were suspected to be related to myocarditis after the vaccine. But out of six cases so far reviewed, vaccine-related myocarditis was ultimately ruled out “as the cause of death,” Dr.r Matthew Oster, pediatric cardiologist.
“The risk of having a heart problem is much higher if you catch COVID-19 than if you take this vaccine,” he added.
Experts further believe that the risk of myocarditis should be rarer in young children, thanks to the reduced dosage, but also because this risk could be linked to testosterone levels.
“If I had a grandson, I would definitely get him vaccinated,” said Beth Bell, infectious disease specialist and committee member. “We have excellent evidence of efficacy and safety. We have a favorable risk-benefit analysis, ”she insisted.