Vaccine for Child Under 5 May be Available in US by the End of February

Corona vaccines for children under 5 may become available in the United States much sooner than expected. The Pfizer/BioNTech drug could already be approved for that age group in the coming weeks; insiders told The Washington Post.

The vaccine manufacturers may already ask the FDA on Tuesday for permission to make the drug available via an emergency procedure. It would then be the first time that children between the ages of six months and five years can be vaccinated against the coronavirus. This is already possible for older children.

Researchers had already looked at how effective two vaccine doses were in younger children. In some cases, this produced disappointing results. The paper writes that two doses did not provide the same level of protection enjoyed by teens and adults in the 2-4 age group. The results of research into the effects of a third dose are not expected until the end of March.

Not enough

There are now voices to speed up the approval of the vaccine for young children. The FDA is said to have encouraged manufacturers to apply in advance. Then it is possible to look at administering two vaccine doses to, among others, toddlers and preschoolers.

“We know that two doses are not enough. We recognize that” an insider told the newspaper. But waiting for sufficient data on the effects of a third dose could take months. So that third dose for young children could also be approved separately by the government later.

Step ahead

A government official said there was broad support among health officials for “this step forward”. The source was referring to the plan to have Pfizer/BioNTech submit a proposal in advance. It would have been discussed at top government officials’ meetings that three doses are probably better than two. “But to reach three, you first have to vaccinate twice.”

Not everyone is enthusiastic about the plan. Some experts fear that attempts to rush the approval process could lead to increased vaccine concerns. Figures already show that parents are often reluctant to have their children vaccinated.