The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory panel said Wednesday that it recommends the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be used for children 12 years old and up, according to The New York Times.
CDC approves COVID-19 vaccine for kids
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will sign off on the advisory on Wednesday, which means children 12 to 15 years old can start getting the Pfizer vaccine, according to The Washington Post. The Pfizer vaccine is already approved from people 16 years old and up.
- The Washington Post reports: “The CDC action will mean the inoculation can be given at any site authorized to administer the shots. Pharmacies and large vaccination clinics that already have doses of the Pfizer vaccine are likely to be among the first places where adolescents can get the shots”
FDA approves COVID-19 vaccine
The CDC’s advisory comes days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents from 12 to 15 years old.
- This has long been considered an opportunity to turn the coronavirus pandemic around. More vaccinated young people will keep COVID-19 cases from spreading en masse.
- Of course, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is only approved for emergency use, according to the FDA.
Will parents get their kids vaccinated?
But the question becomes — will parents get their children vaccinated? Mary Carol Burkhardt, a pediatrician for primary care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, told USA Today that parents are still a little cautious about getting their children the COVID-19 vaccine.
- “We’re certainly seeing both sides of the coin,” she said. “Some parents want to be first in line and want to get their kids protected … on the other side, we have a lot of families who are not hesitant but don’t want to be first.”