America’s fight against COVID-19 reached another milestone Tuesday as the nation’s youngest children became eligible for the vaccine. This was a long-awaited moment that should bring relief to millions of American families. Now parents need to do their part by taking this opportunity to protect their children, their households and their communities.
Tuesday’s rollout makes children younger than 5 years old eligible for the shots, an achievement a year-and-a-half in the making. That should ease the anxiety of millions of Americans who have looked to fill this critical gap in the nation’s public health response. This was the last age demographic in America to become eligible for the vaccines, and federal approval in recent days means stronger protection against the virus for some 18 million kids nationwide.
This new phase gives parents a chance to use the summer break to inoculate their children before vacations, preschool or other communal gatherings crank up again between now and fall. Last week, federal health authorities endorsed a three-dose Pfizer vaccine for infants and children 6 months to 4 years old, and a two-dose Moderna vaccine for kids 6 months to age 5. The Pfizer shots are one-tenth of an adult dose; the Moderna shots are one-quarter of an adult dose. Pfizer says a preliminary analysis shows its shots are 80% effective against symptomatic illness. Moderna said its vaccine is about 51% effective in preventing sickness in younger toddlers and about 37% effective in kids 2 to 5 years old.
