The country’s top infectious disease expert believes COVID-19 vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11 could become available as early as November.
"If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval, and the recommendation from the CDC, it's entirely possible, if not very likely, that vaccines will be available for children from five to 11 within the first week or two of November," Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC's "This Week" Sunday.
Federal health regulators said late last week that kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in elementary school children and caused no unexpected safety issues, as the U.S. weighs beginning vaccinations in youngsters.
The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of Pfizer’s data ahead of a public meeting this week to debate whether the shots are ready for the nation’s roughly 28 million children ages 5 to 11. The agency will ask a panel of outside vaccine experts to vote on that question.
If the FDA authorizes the shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make additional recommendations on who should receive them the first week of November.
The FDA review found no new or unexpected side effects. Those that did occur mostly consisted of sore arms, fever or achiness.
However, FDA scientists noted that the study wasn’t large enough to detect extremely rare side effects, including myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second dose.
The Biden administration has purchased enough kid-size doses — in special orange-capped vials to distinguish them from adult vaccine — for the nation’s 5- to 11-year-olds. If the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses will be promptly shipped around the country, along with kid-size needles.
While children run a lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, COVID-19 has killed more than 630 Americans 18 and under, according to the CDC. Nearly 6.2 million children have been infected with the coronavirus, more than 1.1 million in the last six weeks as the delta variant surged, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.
A second U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Pfizer and Moderna are studying even younger tots as well, down to 6-month-olds. Results are expected later in the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Mtaalamu mkuu wa magonjwa ya kuambukiza nchini humo anaamini chanjo za COVID-19 kwa watoto wenye umri wa miaka 5 hadi 11 zinaweza kupatikana mapema Novemba. "Ikiwa kila kitu kinaenda vizuri, na tunapata idhini ya kisheria, na pendekezo kutoka kwa CDC, inawezekana kabisa, ikiwa sio uwezekano mkubwa, kwamba chanjo zitapatikana kwa watoto kutoka miaka mitano hadi kumi na moja ndani ya wiki ya kwanza au mbili ya Novemba, ""Anthony Fauci aliambia ABC." "Wakurugenzi wa afya wa shirikisho walisema mwishoni mwa wiki iliyopita kwamba dozi za ""kiasi cha mtoto"" za chanjo ya COVID-19 ya Pfizer zinaonekana kuwa na ufanisi mkubwa katika kuzuia maambukizi ya dalili kwa watoto wa shule ya msingi na hazikusababisha masuala ya usalama yasiyotarajiwa, wakati Marekani inazingatia kuanza chanjo kwa vijana." Shirika la chakula na dawa la Marekani (FDA) limetoa taarifa ya uchunguzi wa chanjo ya Pfizer kabla ya mkutano wa umma uliofanyika wiki hii kujadili ikiwa chanjo hiyo iko tayari kwa watoto milioni 28 nchini humo wenye umri wa miaka 5 hadi 11. Shirika hilo litaomba jopo la wataalamu wa chanjo wa nje kupiga kura juu ya swali hilo. Ikiwa FDA itaruhusu chanjo hizo, Vituo vya Kudhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa vitatoa mapendekezo ya ziada juu ya nani anayepaswa kuipokea wiki ya kwanza ya Novemba. Uchunguzi wa FDA haukupata athari mpya au zisizotarajiwa. Wale ambao walitokea hasa walitia ndani mikono yenye maumivu, homa au uchungu. Hata hivyo, wanasayansi wa FDA walibainisha kuwa utafiti huo haukuwa mkubwa vya kutosha kugundua athari za upande zisizo za kawaida, ikiwa ni pamoja na myocarditis, aina ya uvimbe wa moyo ambao mara kwa mara hutokea baada ya kipimo cha pili. Serikali ya Biden imenunua chanjo za kutosha za watoto katika vifurushi maalum vyenye rangi ya machungwa ili kutofautisha na chanjo za watu wazima kwa watoto wa miaka 5 hadi 11. """Ikiwa chanjo hiyo itasafishwa, mamilioni ya dozi zitasafirishwa haraka kote nchini, pamoja na sindano za ukubwa wa mtoto." Ingawa watoto wana hatari ya chini ya ugonjwa mbaya au kifo kuliko watu wazima, COVID-19 imeua zaidi ya Wamarekani 630 wenye umri wa miaka 18 na chini, kulingana na CDC. Watoto milioni 6.2 wameambukizwa virusi vya corona, zaidi ya milioni 1.1 katika wiki sita zilizopita wakati aina ya Delta ilipozidi kuongezeka, Chuo cha Amerika cha Pediatrics kinasema. Kampuni ya pili ya Marekani ya kutengeneza chanjo, Moderna, pia inaendelea na utafiti wa chanjo zake kwa watoto wa shule ya msingi. Pfizer na Moderna pia zinafanya utafiti wa watoto wadogo, hadi watoto wa miezi sita. Matokeo yanatarajiwa baadaye mwaka huu. Shirika la habari la Associated Press lilisaidia kutengeneza ripoti hii. Hadithi hii iliripotiwa kutoka Los Angeles.