Biden Administration Says It Has Enough COVID-19 Vaccine Supply To Vaccinate 28 Million Kids Ages 5-11
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Biden administration says it now has enough vaccine supply to vaccinate 28 million kids ages 5 to 11.
It may seem like this process has taken a while, but doctors say it's because kids' bodies are different from adults' bodies.
Dr. Joseph Aracri, a pediatrician with Allegheny Health Network, said a rollout plan is good, but until the official data is released, he's not sure how much the vaccine will be promoted for kids.
"So it's very hard to say how much we're going to promote this vaccine until we see the side effect profile and the efficacy," said Aracri. "So once that data is released, we as doctors are going to take a look at them and make a recommendation to parents."
He said the reason a vaccine took so long was to focus on more vulnerable age groups, but also for a closer look at the risks and benefits.
A vaccine could change how parents start letting their kids interact with others, but Dr. Aracri said you may have to wait a while until a vaccine is approved because kids will be given the same dosage amount as adults.
"When the vaccine gets rolled out, they are coming in special vials that are just for that age group," said Aracri. "Even though it's just one-third the adults are given, we can't just give that dose. We have to give it from a special vial for those kids. So there might be a little hiccup as far as when product actually comes into the office."
Parents Cheri Bradley and Erica West, who both work in the medical field and have children who are on the proverbial list to get the shot, told KDKA they've been forced to either hold their kids out of sporting events or question other families about their vaccination status' before having sleepovers.
They say it's not only them as parents who want the shot, but their kids have been asking about it.
"It has kind of seemed like it's taken a while," Bradley said. "But I'd rather them take that time and precautions to be sure that it's safe than to rush it."
Pfizer said its vaccine for kids is 93 percent effective. Two doses of the vaccine would have to be administered.
Vaccine advisers are set to meet with the FDA sometime next week to take a closer look at Pfizer's vaccine data.
