11/3/21 - CDC Signs Off On Kid-Size COVID-19 Shot

Children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

(USA TODAY) - The COIVD-19 vaccine for children, was  approved by the CDC,  after the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off Tuesday night on an expert panel's recommendation.

Children in this age group could begin getting shots as soon as this week, as health providers can start vaccinating them "as soon as possible," the CDC said in a release.

Last week the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for children 5 to 11, and the CDC's recommendation now clears the vaccine for those ages.

Presidential adviser Jeffrey Zients said Monday that the Biden administration ordered enough vaccine to cover all 28 million American children in the age group. The administration’s distribution program will be “running at full strength” the week of Nov. 8, he said.

Though the vaccines carry some risk for children, their benefits are greater, concluded the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, made up of vaccine and immune system experts from universities and medical schools across the country.

"We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine," a Tuesday release quotes CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. "As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated."