On October 20, 2021, the plan to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11 was released by the White House. The Biden administration is currently awaiting authorization from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this age group. However, in anticipation of the impending approval, vaccines have been obtained to inoculate approximately 28 million children.
Plan Highlights
In anticipation of FDA authorization and recommendation by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working with states to ensure the vaccine supply will be readily available as quickly as possible. Vaccines will be administered in trusted locations: 25,000 pediatrics and primary care offices and over 100 children’s hospitals. As an additional measure to market the newly available vaccines, the Department of Health and Human Services will implement a national public education campaign. The goal of the campaign is to provide parents with the COVID-19 vaccine information they need to make informed decisions for their families.
Important Dates
The FDA and CDC have meetings on November 2 and 3 where the topic of COVID-19 vaccines for children will be discussed. The Biden Administration intends to vaccinate children within days of a final CDC recommendation. Within the first week of authorization, approximately 15 million vaccines are prepared to ship.
COVID and Children
Hospitalization rates among children have risen due to the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant. Last month, Pfizer-BioNTech said their vaccine “appeared to be safe and well-tolerated and generated a robust immune response in children 5 to 11 in the late-stage trial.” A similar level of antibodies was generated in children when compared to adults. Fewer side effects were observed in children as well.
The information provided is subject to change based on government approval. Creative Benefits, Inc. will work to provide any additional information as it becomes available.
Should you have any questions regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact Creative Benefits, Inc. at 866-306-0200 or solutions@creativebenefitsinc.com.