Parents and pediatricians have been waiting for more than two years for a COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 but even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to authorize it later this week, public health experts warn that vaccinating the population won’t be as simple as sticking a few needles in arms.
On Wednesday, Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisers unanimously recommended that both Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 and under receive emergency authorization. Pending CDC action, kids could begin rolling up their sleeves as early as next week.
While the federal government gave adults multiple opportunities to get their COVID-19 vaccines through pharmacies and on-site vaccination clinics at workplaces, it’ll be less convenient for the under-5 age group thanks to complications presented by federal law, vaccine hesitancy and the logistics surrounding dosages for the pediatric age group.
