COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Children Nears Approval; White House Announces Plan for Distribution

In the coming days, the US is poised to have a COVID-19 vaccine available for all age groups. The US Food and Drug and Administration will hold a meeting this week to discuss authorizing select vaccines for children younger than 5 years old. This meeting follows last week’s release of an FDA analysis on the effectiveness of the three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for this demographic, which showed that children who received the vaccine course developed a strong immune response and indicated protection from the severe effects of the coronavirus.

In response, the White House has released an operational plan to deliver the vaccines to this population.

According to the Administration’s news release, “... state and local governments, health care providers, federal pharmacy partners, national and community-based organizations, and other entities will be critical to the success of this historic, nationwide effort. And the Administration will continue to collaborate with trusted messengers, including pediatricians, to make a concerted effort to ensure that all families have answers to their questions and know about the importance of getting their children vaccinated.” 

Pediatric surgeons can play a part as trusted messengers. Visit the ACS COVID-19 Resource Center to learn more about talking with parents and guardians regarding the importance of getting children vaccinated.

Key points from the White House plan include:

• Securing an initial vaccine supply of 10 million doses, with more available in coming weeks
• Making vaccinations readily accessible
• Leveraging federal programs to provide all parents and families with information
• Supporting education and engagement efforts to build trust among parents and families

Read the full White House news release.