According to infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci, children as young as first graders may be able to get the coronavirus vaccine by the time school starts in September.
Fauci said, so long as trials are successful in those age groups, vaccines should be available.
Several pediatricians and infectious disease experts said they wish the pediatric trials would move more quickly. In addition to restoring stability to the education system and parents’ work schedules and keeping kids and those around them safe, vaccinating children is essential to helping the country, as a whole, reach herd immunity and decrease the threat of new variants.
Right now, Pfizer is the only manufacturer whose pediatric vaccine trials are far enough along to potentially have data on elementary-school age children by the end of the summer.
But… as Pfizer completes its trials in kids, it’ll need to submit the data to the Food and Drug Administration for review and get authorization to vaccinate young people. Right now, the vaccine is indicated only for those ages 16 and up.
