CDC Has Yet To Authorize Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 5: What To Know

As talks increase over Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5, the Centers for Disease Control has yet to authorize it. However, the CDC is making preparations to distribute the shots in the near future.

According to CNBC, the national health agency intends to administer 10 million doses right when the Food and Drug Administration gives its approval. The CDC says that the low-dose vaccine will be distributed in three phases and health officials can begin preordering them Monday in time for President’s Day, Feb. 21.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci said in January he’s confident that Pfizer’s vaccine for kids under 5 will be approved this month. “My hope is that it’s going to be within the next month or so and not much later than that,” he said. “But I can’t guarantee that.”

Children as young as 5 were eligible for the vaccine starting in October 2021. Twelve-year-olds have also been authorized to receive booster shots following the CDC's guidance in January.

After a few reports of myocarditis surfaced following COVID-19 vaccinations, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices spoke about the potential consequences of both Pfizer and Moderna’s shot. It found that Moderna’s two-dose COVID-19 vaccine is associated with a higher risk of heart inflammation than Pfizer’s