United States To Launch COVID-19 Vaccination For Children Under 5 This Month

Illustration of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. (Wikimedia Commons/Nate Ivey.PhD)

JAKARTA - The United States government plans to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations for children under the age of 5 as soon as February 21, according to documents from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering allowing the use of Pfizer Inc., and BioNTech SE vaccines in this age group, although they did not meet the main target in a two- to four-year clinical trial.

The drugmakers said they submitted data supporting authorization at the FDA's request to address pressing public health needs in this age group.

The FDA's external advisors are scheduled to meet on February 15 to discuss whether to recommend regulators to ratify the vaccine. The rollout of the vaccine to children under the age of 5, the only age group not yet eligible for the shot, will begin less than a week after the meeting.

Illustration of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. (Wikimedia Commons/Nate Ivey.PhD)

According to the CDC document, the US Government plans to ship 10 million initial doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to states and other entities before the end of February, if the FDA permits its use.

There are a total of about 18 million children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years in the United States, and there will be additional supplies beyond the first 10 million doses, the CDC said.

The first rollout, which begins on February 21, will prioritize areas where children are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

Then, jurisdictions and federal pharmacy partners will take delivery of the second and third doses on February 23 and February 25, or about a week after the CDC's recommendations.

Please note, children in this age group will receive a lower dose of vaccine, if permitted. Pfizer/BioNTech tested a vaccine dose of 3 micrograms in the age group, compared with doses of 10 micrograms in children 5 to 11 years and 30 micrograms for people 12 years and older.