In an announcement Monday morning, Sept. 20, drug manufacturer Pfizer confirmed that vaccine trials show that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for 5-11-year-olds. It is immediately submitting its data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency approval.
Officials are estimating that it may be Halloween before emergency approval is given. The Pfizer vaccine for adults already has FDA approval.
Kids tested for COVID. Image courtesy of NBC News
The announcement comes as more children than ever before have tested positive for the coronavirus and cases of children in pediatric hospitals are up 250 percent. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, after declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 925,000 cases in the past 4 weeks.
In fact, says the AAP, Since the pandemic began, children represented only 15.7 percent of total cumulative cases. But for the week ending September 16, children were 25.7 percent of reported weekly COVID-19 cases (children, under age 18, make up 22.2 percent of the U.S. population)
Colorado Governor Jared Polis released a statement following reports that the Pfizer vaccine is effective and safe for children aged 5 – 11 years of age.
“Given that the country is currently experiencing a pandemic, the FDA should cancel their weekend plans and postpone other agenda items to meet immediately to review the data and if the vaccine is found effective and safe for children aged 5-11, as it already is for everyone aged 12 and above, the FDA should move forward right away with approval. We want to end the pandemic now and there is no time to waste.”
Featured image: Vaccine image courtesy ofmMainichi.jp
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