The United States is actively preparing to be able to begin vaccination against COVID-19 against 28 million American children aged 5 to 11 with Pfizer’s remedy as soon as next month, when authorization has been given by the authorities sanitary facilities.
“We will be ready to begin injections within days of a final recommendation,” the White House wrote in a statement.
Two health agencies must first decide. An advisory committee of the United States Medicines Agency (FDA) will study the data provided by Pfizer next Tuesday. The FDA will then need to officially authorize the vaccine for this age group.
Then a committee of experts from the Centers for the Prevention and Control of Diseases (CDC) will meet on November 2 and 3, and the precise recommendations of this federal agency on the modalities of administration of the doses should follow very quickly after this date. .
“As soon as the FDA clears the vaccine, which is the first step in the process, we will start shipping […] around 15 million doses nationwide, ”said Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator, at a press briefing.
The US government has assured that the United States has procured enough doses to immunize the 28 million children in this age group.
The latter will be able to receive their injections in more than 25,000 offices of pediatricians and other doctors, in pediatric hospitals, tens of thousands of pharmacies but also in certain schools, specified the executive.
The vaccine packaging has been modified to be easier to use by small organizations, with packages of 10 vials (each containing 10 doses). The government will also provide the necessary equipment for injections, including needles smaller than those used for adults.
Information campaign
“We know that millions of parents are waiting for COVID-19 vaccines for this age group,” said Jeff Zients.
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey at the end of September, among parents with a child between the ages of 5 and 11, about a third said they would vaccinate them as soon as possible. Another third said they would wait before making a decision, and a quarter said they would not get vaccinated.
“We are preparing a national public information campaign so that parents receive information about the vaccine,” said US Chief Medical Officer Vivek Murthy. In particular, forums will be organized.
The Pfizer-BioNTech alliance had filed an emergency authorization request for its vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 in early October.
This request is based on clinical trials on more than 2,000 children aged 5 to 11. The companies reported that the vaccine was well tolerated and elicited a “robust” immune response, “comparable” to that seen in 16 to 25 year olds.
The dosage has been adjusted to 10 micrograms per injection, compared to 30 micrograms for the older groups.
The vaccine can be stored for up to 10 weeks at standard refrigerator temperature.
Younger people are less likely to develop severe cases of COVID-19, but can still get sick and participate in the transmission of the virus within the population.
A few hundred miners have died from the disease since the pandemic began in the United States, according to CDC figures.
In Israel, children aged 5 to 11 at risk of serious complications from COVID-19 can already be vaccinated since August 1 with Pfizer, under a “special authorization”.