Children under the age of five will be able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from 21 June if regulators authorise the pediatric vaccines as expected, the White House has announced.
White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr Ashish Jha said during a briefing on Thursday that “we expect that vaccinations will begin in earnest as early as Tuesday, June 21st. Our expectation is that within weeks, every parent who wants their child to get vaccinated will be able to get an appointment”.
Dr Jha added that “I think we have the tools for the summer. We will not have the tools for the fall and winter unless Congress steps up and funds us”.
Concerning vaccines for children under the age of five, Dr Jha said that “we’ve encouraged states and providers to find ways to ensure that parents have access to these vaccines for their kids outside of normal work hours because we want to make this as easy as possible for working parents and their families”.
“We are going to make 10 million doses available to states, pharmacies and community health centres and federal entities to order initially. Starting tomorrow, states can begin to place their orders,” he added.
Dr Jha said that it could take a few days for the vaccines to be transported across the country and for appointments to be widely available.
Children under five are the last age group to be eligible for the inoculations.
An outside advisory panel with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to meet on 14 and 15 June to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for young children.
Doctors and children’s care facilities would start receiving shipments shortly after the FDA authorises the shots, with initial vaccinations possible the following week.
The Biden administration is pressing states to prioritise large-volume sites like children’s hospitals and to make appointments available outside regular work hours to make it easier for parents to get their kids vaccinated.
Dr Jha acknowledged the “frustration” of parents of young children who have been waiting more than a year for shots for their kids.
“At the end of the day we all want to move fast, but we’ve got to get it right,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
