At least 28 million children are eligible to be vaccinated after the CDC endorsed vaccinations for ages 5-11.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky made the final approval on Tuesday, after the agency’s vaccine advisory panel voted 14-0 a few hours prior.
Why it matters: The New York Times reports that, since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 8,300 children ages 5 to 11 have been hospitalized with Covid, and at least 94 have died.
About one-third of the hospitalized children were admitted to intensive care units.
Despite the FDA’s recommendation last Friday, local hospitals were waiting for the CDC to weigh in. At a briefing with reporters, Dr. David Priest, Novant’s chief safety, quality and epidemiology officer, said children’s vaccines will be a third of the dosage given to adults.
He also encouraged parents to speak with their pediatrician regarding the vaccination of their children.
Meanwhile, Novant Health announced that, starting tomorrow, it will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11.
Question: Are you comfortable having your child (or grandchild or niece or nephew) receive a Covid-19 shot? Leave your answer in the comments section below.
