Good News, Experts Say COVID-19 Vaccine For Children 5-11 Years Old May Be Available Next Month

Illustration of a COVID-19 vaccination. (Wikimedia Commons/US Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - Vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 are likely to be available in the first half of November, infectious disease experts said, predicting a schedule that could see many children fully vaccinated before the end of the year.

"If all goes well, and we get regulatory approval and recommendations from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it's very likely if not very likely that the vaccine will be available to children from ages 5 to 11 in the first or second week of November. ," explained infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci in an interview with ABC's This Week.

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are reviewing a Pfizer/BioNTech application requesting authorization of its 2-dose vaccine, for younger children, with an outside advisory panel scheduled to consider October 26.

To note, the FDA usually follows the advice of its panels but is not required to do so.

The United States CDC will consider recommendations for vaccines at meetings on November 2 and November 3, helping to inform the final decision by its director.

Separately, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, speaking on Fox News Sunday, also said the agency wanted to act quickly.

"Once they (FDA) can review all the science and take regulatory action and the CDC will meet, and if all goes well, we will act quickly," he said.

"We know how many parents are interested in vaccinating their children between the ages of 5 and 11 and we intend to act as quickly as possible," he added.

Once approved, an additional 28 million children in the United States will be eligible to receive what will be the United States' first COVID-19 vaccine for younger children.

Previously, Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine was already available for those aged 12-17, and the company is still studying it for children under 5 years old.

While children have lower death rates from COVID-19, many face long-term illness and symptoms that are still being studied. Many adults who are hesitant or opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine, even some who are not against the vaccine itself, are expected to refuse to give their children the shot.

Asked if schools should mandate vaccines for children, Walensky said, "We're currently in authorization. We're in discussions about authorization. I think we need to get children vaccinated through this authorization and get approval before we can make a decision on that. there."