Education Week tracked the latest news and important updates on the development and rollout of coronavirus vaccines for kids from December 2020 until June 2022. This page will no longer be updated.
June 20, 2022
CDC clears the way for youngest kids to get COVID-19 vaccines
Children ages 6 months to 5 years can start getting vaccinated against COVID-19 after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final signoff on June 18.
An independent panel of advisers to the CDC voted unanimously to recommend vaccinating the youngest children, saying that the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines protect children in that age group against symptomatic COVID-19, NPR reported. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off hours later.
“We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” Walensky said in a statement.
It came a day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for use in children as young as 6 months old, saying their benefits would outweigh any possible risks.
Pfizer’s vaccine is for children 6 months to 4 years old and is a three-dose series. The first two doses are given three weeks apart and the third dose eight weeks after the second dose.
Moderna’s vaccine is for children 6 months to 5 years old and is a two-dose series given four weeks apart. The FDA also approved a third dose given at least a month after the second shot for children more vulnerable to serious illness.
The Biden administration said the vaccines could be available as soon as June 20 or June 21 at doctor’s offices, hospitals, and pharmacies. President Joe Biden, in a statement, urged parents to make a plan to vaccinate their children as soon as possible.
June 16, 2022
FDA panel green-lights COVID-19 shots for youngest kids
The Food and Drug Administration’s independent vaccine advisers on June 15 voted unanimously to recommend the agency authorize two COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5, The Associated Press reports.
Babies, toddlers, and preschool-age children are the last age group in the United States without access to COVID-19 vaccines, nearly two-and-a-half years into the pandemic.
The panel agreed that the benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines outweigh any risks for children under 5. Some panel members said they believe chances are minimal for severe illness and death in young children.
Pfizer’s vaccine is for children 6 months through 4 years; Moderna’s vaccine is for 6 months through 5 years.
FDA vaccine advisers said both vaccines appear to be safe and effective for children as young as 6 months old. Side effects, such as fever and fatigue, were generally minor in both and less common than what is seen in adults.
If the FDA agrees with its advisers and authorizes the shots, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also have to decide on a formal recommendation after its own advisers vote on Saturday. If the CDC also gives the green light, shots could be available as soon as June 20 at doctor’s offices, hospitals, and pharmacies.
June 16, 2022
FDA advisers endorse Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for older kids
The Food and Drug Administration’s independent vaccine advisers on June 14 endorsed a second brand of COVID-19 vaccine for school-age children and teens, The Associated Press reports.
The panel voted unanimously that Moderna’s vaccine is safe and effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 illness in kids ages 6 to 17. If authorized, the Moderna vaccine would be the second option for that age group, joining Pfizer’s vaccine.
The FDA held up Moderna’s teen vaccine for months while it investigated a rare side effect, heart inflammation, which is mostly a risk for teenage boys and young men and also can occur with the Pfizer vaccine.
If the FDA authorizes the Moderna shots, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also have to decide whether to formally recommend the shots, but a CDC spokesperson told The Associated Press that the shots might not be reviewed until later this month.
May 18, 2022
COVID booster shots now approved for children ages 5-11
Most students in kindergarten through 12th grade will now have access to a third shot of vaccine to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the severity of the disease.
That’s because the Food and Drug Administration on May 17 approved an emergency use authorization for a booster shot for children ages 5 to 11, a request submitted earlier this spring by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech.
The federal agency has already approved at least one booster shot for people 12 and older. And adults ages 50 and older, as well as younger people with certain pre-existing medical conditions, are already eligible for two booster doses.
Pfizer-BioNTech submitted evidence that kids ages 5-11 who got a third shot at least five months after the initial two-dose regimen had 36 times as many Omicron fighting antibodies compared with those who only received two shots.
Robert M. Califf, the commissioner of the FDA, said in a statement that there’s been a spike in child COVID infections and hospitalizations since omicron became the dominant variant.
“While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease,” he said. “Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 and its severe consequences, and it is safe.”
May 2, 2022
FDA sets June meetings on COVID vaccines for youngest kids
The Food and Drug Administration has set tentative dates in June to publicly review COVID-19 vaccines for the youngest American children, according to the Associated Press.
The FDA said Friday it plans to convene its outside panel of vaccine experts on June 8, 21, and 22 to review applications from Moderna and Pfizer for vaccines in tots and babies.
The dates are tentative and regulators said they will provide more details later. The announcement follows months of frustration from parents impatient to vaccinate their young children.
FDA Chief Robert Califf said Friday the agency will make a decision as quickly as possible once it has all the data.
April 28, 2022
FDA to consider approval for a booster shot for kids ages 5 to 11
Children ages 5 to 11 could soon be eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted data on the safety and efficacy of a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Pfizer and BioNTech say their trial data show that a third dose given 6 months after the second not only worked well in upping protection against the coronavirus, it also didn’t present any new safety concerns.
If the FDA recommends the booster shot for emergency use authorization among 5- to 11-year-olds, the booster still must get the go-ahead from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it can be administered to children.
April 28, 2022
After a long wait and false starts, a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 takes a step toward authorization
Vaccine developer Moderna has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review and approve its COVID-19 vaccine for children who are 6 months to 6 years old.
Currently, a COVID-19 vaccine is only available to children as young as 5 through drugmaker Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech. That means around 18 million children in the United States do not have access to a vaccine.
Submitting trial data to the FDA is the first step in getting the vaccine approved by U.S. regulators for emergency use authorization.
Moderna says its drug trials have found its vaccine to be safe and effective in children less than 6-years-old. The shot was as good at rousing virus-fighting antibodies in young children as it was in adults without causing serious side-effects, Moderna said. During the wave of infections caused by the omicron variant, trial data show that vaccine efficacy among children ages 6 months to under 2 was 37 percent and 51 percent for kids ages 2 to 6.
Moderna’s vaccine has not been approved for emergency use for anyone under the age of 18 in the United States. The company is also submitting data for 6- to 11-year-olds from its vaccine trials and updating its emergency use authorization request to the FDA for 12- to 17-year-olds with additional trial data. Moderna filed a request for approval with the FDA for children over 12 last June but the application stalled over concerns that the vaccine might be linked to a very rare side effect that causes heart inflammation. Regulators in Canada and the European Union, however, have already approved Moderna’s vaccine for use in children as young as 6.
Pfizer is also testing a vaccine for younger children and babies. Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA in February to start reviewing trial data for a two-dose regimen of their shot. But they had to withdraw their application as the companies finished collecting data on the efficacy of a three-dose series of their vaccine, which they anticipated to be much more effective than two doses.
If Moderna’s vaccine for young children gets the green light from the FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control will then consider whether to grant the shot emergency use authorization. Regulators will be considering whether to recommend the shot for all children under 6, or just those who are at high risk of getting severely ill with COVID-19.
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April 19, 2022
California is postponing its COVID-19 vaccine requirement for schools
The state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for schools has been delayed until at least July of 2023.
Originally, the requirement was meant to go into effect before the 2022-23 school year if there was a COVID-19 vaccine available that had received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Currently, the FDA has granted that approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for people 16 and older. Pfizer’s vaccine for kids ages 5-15 are available only under emergency use authorization. No other vaccine developer has a COVID-19 vaccine available for children under 18.
California was the first state to say that it would require COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren. The mandate would apply to grades 7 through 12 and allows parents to opt out of getting their children inoculated based on personal beliefs. Louisiana and the District of Columbia also have mandates for K-12 students set to take effect either next year or when the vaccine has received full FDA approval for certain age groups, according to a vaccine policy tracker maintained by the National Academy for State Health Policy.
California state officials cited the fact that no COVID-19 vaccine has received full FDA approval for children ages 12 to 15 as the reason for delaying the mandate’s start date, although the requirement has also faced pushback.
March 23, 2022
A second COVID-19 vaccine could soon be on the path for FDA approval for children ages 6 and younger
Vaccine developer Moderna plans to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 6 years of age.
Currently, there are no COVID-19 vaccines available to children under 5. The federal review process for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for children under 5 began earlier this year but has since been put on pause while the companies collect more data on the effectiveness of a three-dose series of the vaccine.
Moderna said its low-dose vaccine—about a quarter of what is administered to adults—is safe and effective in babies and young children and that the company plans to ask the FDA to review the vaccine data in the coming weeks.
Moderna is also submitting data for 6- to 11-year-olds from its vaccine trials and updating its emergency use authorization request to the FDA with additional vaccine trial data kids ages 12 to 17. That application was first submitted last June but has not advanced because of concerns over a link between messenger RNA vaccines—which both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are—and a very rare side effect that causes heart inflammation. Because Moderna’s vaccine is a higher dose than Pfizer’s, regulators have been more concerned about the side effects.
Outside the United States, regulators in Canada and the European Union have already given the green light for Moderna’s vaccine in children as young as 6.
Feb. 28, 2022
The COVID-19 vaccine is much less effective among 5- to 11-year-olds than with older kids, new data finds
While the COVID-19 vaccine is effective at preventing severe illness in children ages 5-11, it offers little protection against infection. Those are the findings of an analysis of new data by the New York State Health Department.
The decline in effectiveness between the 5-11 and 12-17 age groups may be due to the fact that the younger group receives a much smaller dose of the vaccine, reports The New York Times.
Currently, the only COVID-19 vaccine available to kids under 18 is the one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
Public health experts quoted by The Times said they still recommend the vaccine because it offers good protection against hospitalization, but they worry that these latest findings may lead to more parents passing on the shot for their young children.
Feb. 23, 2022
No evidence COVID-19 vaccines trigger rare inflammatory condition in children, research finds
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is a rare and serious complication of COVID-19. However, new research finds that COVID-19 vaccines for children most likely do not cause MIS-C.
MIS-C causes different organs in the body to become inflamed, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, or even eyes and skin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It often leads to hospitalization.
A few people who were not sick with COVID-19 (or at least in any detectible way) had developed MIS-C, which prompted researchers at the CDC to conduct the analysis, according to the Associated Press. The findings, published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, show no evidence the vaccines cause MIS-C.
The study included 9 months of COVID-19 vaccination data during which more than 21 million youth from age 12 to 20 received a vaccine. Twenty-one developed MIS-C, 15 of whom had a previous laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19 that could have led to the complication. There was no evidence the remaining six youths had an earlier COVID-19 infection, but researchers could not confirm that one way or another. Many children do not develop symptoms with COVID-19 and do not get tested. However, MIS-C can occur following even an asymptomatic infection.
Unvaccinated children and adolescents who get COVID-19 are much more likely to develop MIS-C than vaccinated ones.
Feb. 14, 2022
Federal COVID-19 vaccine authorization process for children under 5 on pause until April
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has canceled a meeting of its vaccine advisory committee, which was scheduled for this week. The panel of independent experts was going to consider whether to recommend emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for children under 5.
This effectively puts the federal review process on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine among young children on hold for at least another month.
The FDA says it will now wait for more data from Pfizer and BioNTech on how well a third dose of the vaccine works in children 6-months through 4-years-old. Data, so far, show that while a two-dose regimen of the vaccine is safe in this age group, it was not effective at creating enough of an immune response.
Initially, the FDA decided to move ahead with reviewing the data for the first two doses instead of waiting for the data on the effectiveness of three doses to come in—which likely won’t be available until late March.
The rationale was that if the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had determined that the vaccine was safe among younger children, parents would have had the option to start their children on the vaccination series in late February. Kids could then be on track to receive the third dose of the vaccine as soon as it won approval from federal regulators. Pfizer has said that it believes three shots will be needed to produce enough of an immune response among young children.
However, the FDA’s reversal means that it likely won’t be until at least mid-April before a COVID-19 vaccine is available to young children.
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Feb. 10, 2022
U.S. plans to have 10 million COVID-19 vaccines for young children ready to roll out
The U.S. is aiming release 10 million COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 as soon as the Food and Drug Administration grants emergency approval to the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, reports CNN.
The initial phase of the rollout plan is detailed in a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document posted online. There are about 18 million children in the United States ages 6 months through 4 years who could be eligible to start getting vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of February, according to the CDC.
The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee of independent experts is scheduled to meet on Feb. 15 to consider whether to recommend the vaccine for children under 5. The CDC’s independent advisory committee will weigh in with its recommendation after that, with the final sign-off then coming from the CDC’s director.
Feb. 03, 2022
The percent of school-aged children vaccinated against COVID-19 is on the rise, poll finds
Sixty-one percent of parents with children ages 12 to 17 say that their child is vaccinated, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll. That’s an increase from 49 percent in November.
Meanwhile, 21 percent of parents with vaccinated adolescents say that their child has gotten a booster. Forty-one percent say they will definitely get their child a booster and 24 percent said they probably will.
In terms of elementary-age children, a third of parents with children ages 5 to 11 say their child is vaccinated, up from 16 percent in November when the vaccine first became available for that age group. However, a recent analysis by the Kaiser Health Foundation found that vaccination numbers among this age group peaked in November and have dropped off significantly since then.
About a quarter of parents of children ages 5-16 say they will definitely not get their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Four percent of parents with adolescents and 9 percent of parents with elementary-age children say they would vaccinate their kids only if required by school.
Some parents remain on the fence: Six percent of parents of adolescents say they are still taking a wait-and-see approach and haven’t decided, yet, on getting their children vaccinated, and 19 percent of parents with children ages 5-11 say they plan to “wait and see.”
About a third of parents with children younger than 5 plan to get them a shot as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is available. A vaccine for that age group could come by the end of February. Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted data on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine they developed for that age group to the FDA, the first step toward getting emergency approval for the vaccine.
Feb. 02, 2022
COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 could be available by the end of the month
Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted data on their COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is the first step toward getting emergency approval from federal regulators.
While earlier data released by Pfizer and BioNTech show that a series of two low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children under 5, it was not effective at creating enough of an immune response in that age group. The drugmakers are currently testing a third dose of the vaccine but data on the effectiveness of three doses likely won’t be available until late March.
In a rare move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked Pfizer and BioNTech to go ahead and submit the data the companies had on the two-dose regimen for emergency use authorization. That way, the federal review process could get started now instead of waiting until Pfizer submitted data on the three-dose regimen.
This sets up a scenario in which federal regulators could green-light a two-dose series of the vaccine for young children this month and authorize a third shot once there is enough data showing it’s effective.
“Ultimately, we believe that three doses of the vaccine will be needed for children 6 months through 4 years of age to achieve high levels of protection against current and potential future variants,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s chairman and chief executive officer in a statement. “If two doses are authorized, parents will have the opportunity to begin a COVID-19 vaccination series for their children while awaiting potential authorization of a third dose.”
This would be the first COVID-19 vaccine available to children under 5 if the federal regulators grant emergency use authorization to Pfizer and BioNTech.
Jan. 21, 2022
California bill would allow kids under 18 to get the COVID-19 vaccine without their parents’ consent
A California lawmaker has filed a bill that would allow children 12 and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as several other diseases such as the measles and the flu, without their parents’ knowledge.
Children 12 and older in California are already allowed to give their own consent to vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted diseases, such as Hepatitis B and the Human Papillomavirus (or HPV), according to the Associated Press. But for most vaccines, the state requires parental consent for children under 18.
Nationally, age limits on parental vaccination consent laws vary from state to state. Last spring, similar bills to the one in California were filed in Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York to lower the age of consent required for vaccines in those states, according to The New York Times.
Polling shows that many parents remain hesitant to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.
Jan. 13, 2022
COVID-19 vaccine trial results for younger children expected this spring
Representatives from both Pfizer and Moderna say they anticipate having results from their vaccine trials in children ages 5 and younger early this spring.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have developed messenger RNA vaccines (mRNA) that are available to older age groups in the United States.
A vaccine researcher for Pfizer told a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee last week that the company is aiming to have data on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 4 years old by late March or early April, according to Reuters.
Pfizer announced in December that after its original 2-dose vaccine series was unable to provide enough protection for children ages 2-4, it would increase the initial vaccine series to 3 doses for children under age 5. Currently, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people 16 and older. The vaccine is available for children 5 and older through emergency use authorization. It is the only COVID-19 vaccine available to children under 18 in the United States.
Moderna said in a statement this week that it anticipates reporting data for the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 2- to 5-years-old in March and that it may “proceed with regulatory filings for children 2-5 years of age thereafter.”
Currently, the vaccine developed by Moderna is only available in the United States to people 18 years and older. However, the company says its COVID-19 vaccine has been given regulatory authorizations in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and in some countries in Europe for 12- to 17-year-olds.
Jan. 10, 2022
Pfizer Vaccine Helps Protect Against Rare and Serious Side Effect of COVID-19 in Children and Teens
Two does of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by drugmaker Pfizer and German biotechnology BioNTech are highly effective at protecting 12- to 18-year-olds against Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, according to a newly released report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, is a serious condition that has occurred in a small percentage of children who have contracted COVID-19. It causes inflammation of organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain between two to six weeks after infection.
Although 5- to 11-year-olds are at the greatest risk for developing MIS-C, they were not included in the analysis because they only became eligible for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in October. Currently, Pfizer’s vaccine is the only one available to children younger than 18 years of age.
Jan. 6, 2022
12- to 15-year-olds now eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 12- to 15-year-olds can now receive the COVID-19 booster shot developed by Pfizer and the German biotechnology company BioNTech. The CDC recommends teens receive a booster five months after their initial two-dose series of the vaccine.
The vaccines for this age group are available under emergency use authorization and have not yet received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA extended its emergency use authorization to include booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds on Monday. On Wednesday, the CDC’s advisory panel of outside experts voted 13 to 1 to recommend making Pfizer’s booster shots available to that age group, which the CDC then signed off on.
The CDC is also recommending that teenagers 16 and older receive a COVID-19 booster shot. That age group was already eligible to receive a booster, but the CDC had not gone so far as to recommend it.
Jan. 3, 2022
FDA extends COVID-19 booster shot availability to kids 12 to 15, CDC final approval may come this week
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended its emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech to include booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds.
The news comes as the Omicron variant is causing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases nationally and as a growing number of school districts are choosing to return to remote learning temporarily following the holiday break.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must also sign off on the plan to extend boosters to that age group, and the Associated Press reports that the center’s director, Rochelle Walensky, is expected to issue a final decision on boosters for kids ages 12 to 15 this week.
Teens 16 and older are already eligible to receive a booster shot.
Twelve- to 15-year-olds who received their COVID-19 vaccine when it was first made available in May would be eligible for a booster shot now.
The FDA also shortened the time between when people 12 and older should receive their booster shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine after their initial doses from 6 months to 5 months.
Finally, the FDA amended the emergency use authorization to the Pfizer vaccine to allow certain immunocompromised children from ages 5 to 11—such as those who have had organ transplants—to receive an initial three dose series of the Pfizer vaccine instead of two.
Dec. 27, 2021
Louisiana governor mandates COVID-19 shot for children next school year; New Orleans gets a jump-start
Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has added the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of immunizations required for school attendance, starting in the 2022-23 academic year. As of now, the requirement only applies to teenagers 16 and older who have access to a vaccine that has received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. COVID-19 vaccines are only available to children ages 5 to 15 through emergency use authorization. As the FDA grants full approval to younger age groups, those students will also be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana.
However, Louisiana law allows parents to opt their children out of required vaccines for a number of reasons.
While the state’s health department recommended the move, several state lawmakers from both political parties said they are opposed to the decision.
The New Orleans school district, however, will start requiring COVID-19 vaccines for students in all grades, beginning in February.
Dec. 27, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine for preschoolers delayed
A COVID-19 vaccine for children 6-months to 4-years-old likely won’t be available in the near future. Drugmaker Pfizer and its partner in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, BioNTech, announced in December that the companies were expanding the original two-dose series they were testing in that age group to three doses. Two small doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine—a tenth of the amount given to people 12 and older—did not appear to be strong enough for children 2-4 years of age. Pfizer said it anticipates having enough data to apply for emergency authorization of the vaccine from U.S. regulators in the first half of 2022.
So far, the vaccine trial has not turned up any safety concerns for babies and preschoolers receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a press release, Pfizer and BioNTech said the companies are also studying a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds, based on how effective a 3-dose series has appeared to be in people 16 years and older.
Dec. 9, 2021
16- and 17-year-olds are eligible for COVID-19 booster shots, FDA announces
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended its emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech to include booster shots for teens 16 and 17 years of age.
Those teens now are eligible for the booster shot 6 months after their initial vaccination. Currently, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is the only one available to people under 18 years of age.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly followed the announcement with a recommendation for 16- to 17-year-olds to get the booster shot saying that although the data is preliminary, early evidence shows that booster shots help strengthen the vaccine’s protection against the new Omicron variant.
Nov. 10, 2021
Nearly a million kids vaccinated in week 1, White House says
The campaign to vaccinate elementary school age children in the U.S. is off to a strong start, health officials said, but experts say there are signs that it will be difficult to sustain the initial momentum.
Nov. 2, 2021
All K-12 students can now get the COVID-19 vaccine
Children between the ages of 5 and 11 are now eligible for the first time to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 2 recommended the vaccine developed by drugmaker Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech for emergency use authorization. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky then signed off on it—the final step in the government’s process of analyzing the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and ultimately approving it for emergency use.
Oct. 29, 2021
FDA grants emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech emergency use authorization for children ages 5 to 11.
The move was widely expected when the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee voted earlier in the week to recommend emergency approval for the vaccine in 5- to 11-year-olds.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must give the green light to the vaccine before it can be made available to children, which could happen as early as the first week in November.
Oct. 26, 2021
FDA says vaccine benefits outweigh myocarditis risks
Heart inflammation is one rare side effect of the children’s vaccine for COVID-19, but, even as the latest wave of the pandemic lessens, the coronavirus remains more dangerous, according to experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Oct. 26, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 clears hurdle to emergency approval
A key FDA advisory committee made up of independent experts has recommended that the agency grant emergency use authorization to the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee’s decision is not binding, although the FDA is expected to follow the recommendation, which would likely make the vaccine available as early as next week.
Oct. 25, 2021
Moderna says its low-dose COVID shot works for kids 6 to 11
Moderna said that a low dose of its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and appears to work in 6- to 11-year-olds, as the manufacturer joins its rival Pfizer in moving toward expanding shots to children.
Oct. 22, 2021
Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective in kids
Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released by the drug company.
The shots could begin in early November — with the first children in line fully protected by Christmas — if regulators give the go-ahead.
Oct. 20, 2021
White House announces plan to vaccinate younger children against COVID-19
The federal government is prepared to distribute millions of COVID-19 vaccines to get a jump on inoculating the country’s 5- to 11-year-olds as soon as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives the green light for that age group to receive the vaccine. That’s according to a new vaccination plan released by the White House.
The FDA is reviewing trial data from drugmaker Pfizer and its partner German biotechnology company BioNTech and is expected to approve the vaccine under emergency use authorization for children ages 5 to 11 this fall. This will be the first COVID-19 vaccine available for that age group.
Schools will play a key role in the Biden administration’s plan by countering vaccine misinformation and by providing vaccines on school campuses in partnership with local health providers and pharmacies.
Oct. 7, 2021
Pfizer asks the FDA to grant emergency approval to its COVID vaccine for children 5 and older
Pfizer has requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grant emergency-use authorization to the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with German company BioNTech for children aged 5 to 11. Pfizer submitted trial data, which found the vaccine to be safe and effective, for that age group to the FDA last month.
An independent committee advising the FDA on the COVID-19 vaccines will meet on Oct. 26 to consider Pfizer’s request for emergency-use authorization for 5- to 11-year-olds.
Pfizer’s vaccine already has emergency-use authorization from the FDA for ages 12 to 15 and full FDA approval for ages 16 and up.
Oct. 1, 2021
California becomes first state to require COVID-19 vaccination for students
California will require all eligible public and private school students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend school in person, becoming the first state to do so.
Students won’t be required to get vaccinated right away. The mandate won’t take effect until the semester after the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for children 12 years and older. Currently, the vaccine developed by Pfizer and the German biotechnology company BioNTech only has full FDA approval for ages 16 and older, but it’s available to 12- to 16-year-olds through emergency use authorization.
Requirements for younger ages will be phased in as the FDA grants full approval for those groups. The mandate will mirror that for other childhood vaccinations in the state: students will not be allowed to attend classes in person without receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, however there will be medical and religious exemptions.
Families who do not want to vaccinate their children can circumvent the requirement by enrolling their students in a fully online school or home schooling, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A handful of school districts in California, such as those in Los Angeles, Culver City, and San Diego, had already issued their own COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students to attend in-person classes.
Sept. 28, 2021
Pfizer submits data to FDA on its Covid-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11
Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech have submitted data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the efficacy and safety of their Covid-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11. It’s an important next step in the companies getting emergency use authorization from the FDA for their vaccines to start being administered to children.
Trial results have found the Covid-19 vaccine to be safe and effective in that age group.
In a press release, the companies reiterated that trial results for children 6 months to 4 years old are expected in the fourth quarter of this year.
Sept. 28, 2021
U.S. has enough COVID-19 vaccines for kids’ shots
With more than 40 million doses of coronavirus vaccines available, U.S. health authorities said they’re confident there will be enough for both qualified older Americans seeking booster shots and the young children for whom initial vaccines are expected to be approved in the not-too-distant future.
Sept. 20, 2021
Pfizer study finds that its vaccine is safe and effective in children ages 5 to 11
Pfizer has announced the results of its clinical trials, finding that a lower dose of its COVID-19 vaccine it developed with German biotechnology company BioNTech for adults is safe and effective for 5- to 11-year-olds. The company said it plans to submit the data to the Food and Drug Administration and request emergency use authorization by the end of this month.
A press release from Pfizer said that side effects for this age group were similar to what have been experienced by teens and young adults. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 was recently given full approval by the FDA for ages 16 and older. Pfizer’s statement did not specifically address the issue of heart inflammation in its study of 5- to 11-year-olds, a rare but concerning side effect of the vaccine that has been most common among teen and young adult males. According to the health news website STAT, the condition is so rare that no clinical trial will be big enough to give an analysis on the risk. The risk of heart inflammation will be top of mind for regulators as they consider whether to give emergency approval to the vaccine for younger children.
Pfizer expects to have data for the remaining groups of children, 6 months to 2 years, and 2- to 5-years-old in the fourth quarter of this year.
Sept. 10, 2021
Pfizer-BioNTech announces plans to seek vaccine approval for children ages 5-11
The makers of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine said on Friday that they would be submitting the results of their trials in children ages 5-11 to regulatory authorities across the world within the next few weeks, according to the German news outlet Der Spiegel.
Currently, only children 12 and older can receive the vaccine.
BioNTech’s chief executive, Ugur Sahin, said that trial data look good, and that “everything is going according to plan.” The company is planning to start producing smaller doses of the vaccine for younger children, preparing for regulatory approval.
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Sept. 9, 2021
Los Angeles Unified mandates vaccines for all students 12 and older
The Los Angeles Unified school district voted Thursday to require COVID-19 vaccines for all students 12 and older who attend school in person, a move that could ricochet nationally, paving the way for other districts to enact similar mandates.
The board of the country’s second-largest school district voted unanimously in a special meeting to approve the new policy. The panel announced the meeting the previous day, setting social media abuzz and drawing national notice, since it is the first big district in the country to require vaccines for all eligible students. One board member recused himself because of stock ownership in Pfizer, the maker of the only vaccine authorized for use in children.
Los Angeles, with 600,000 students, already had among the strictest protocols for pandemic safety, requiring regular COVID testing for all staff and students, masks for everyone indoors and outdoors, and vaccines for all staff members unless they have medical or personal-belief reasons to avoid them.
Students must get their first dose of the vaccine by Nov. 21 and the second by Dec. 19. District officials noted that exemptions would be granted for “medical and other” reasons but did not provide additional details.
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Aug. 31, 2021
Just half of parents plan to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, poll finds
Fifty-one percent of parents said in the latest Education Next poll that they would “probably” or “definitely” vaccinate their child. Meanwhile, 34 percent said they probably or definitely would not, and 15 percent remain undecided.
Vaccine hesitancy among parents and guardians remains a hurdle toward getting enough of the U.S. population vaccinated against the coronavirus to tamp down on its rampant spread.
Political party affiliation and children’s ages played into parents’ attitudes toward vaccination, according to the Education Next poll. Republican parents were far more hesitant about the idea of vaccinating their children against COVID-19: Thirty-five percent said they would do it, compared with 66 percent of parents who are Democrats.
Parents with children in elementary school were also more hesitant about immunizing their children against COVID-19 than parents with kids in middle and high school. Currently, children under 12 years of age cannot receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Aug. 30, 2021
Fauci backs COVID-19 vaccine requirements for school attendance
Requiring schoolchildren to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend school is a “good idea,” according to one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that while there will likely be a lot of pushback to this idea, mandating vaccines for schoolchildren is nothing new.
“We’ve done this for decades and decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis,” he said.
A recent AP/NORC poll showed that 55 percent of Americans are in favor of mandating COVID-19 vaccines for eligible school children. Currently, only adolescents 12 years and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA may grant emergency use authorization to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer for children 5- to 11-years-old by late fall or early winter.
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Aug. 23, 2021
First COVID vaccine wins full FDA approval for ages 16 and up
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. This means teens 16 and older, who have already had access to the Pfizer vaccine through emergency use authorization, can now be inoculated with a vaccine fully approved by the FDA.
Public health officials are hopeful that full approval of the Pfizer shot will raise people’s confidence in the vaccine. Forty-one percent of parents of children ages 12-17 said their child had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
More serious side-effects of the vaccine like heart inflammation in teens remains extremely rare, the FDA said.
Aug. 23, 2021
California school district likely the first to require COVID-19 vaccines for students
Culver City Unified School District in California is requiring all eligible students to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend school. The district is likely the first in the state—and quite possibly the country—to require the vaccine for all eligible students. A scan of news stories by Education Week could find no other examples of vaccine mandates for all eligible students.
Currently, adolescents 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Students in Culver in that age group will have until November to provide proof that they are vaccinated.
A few other places are requiring vaccines for students, but only those participating in athletics. State education officials in Hawaii announced in early August that high school student athletes in the state will have to get the COVID-19 vaccine to participate in sports. Public schools in New York City as well as the Niskayuna Central School District also in New York state, announced later in August that they will require high school students in high-risk sports to get vaccinated.
A new public opinion poll finds that 55 percent of Americans are in favor of vaccine mandates for eligible schoolchildren. However, according to the poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 42 percent of parents support vaccine requirements for students.
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Aug. 23, 2021
Possible link between a COVID vaccine and heart inflammation could be slowing down approval for adolescents
The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna may carry a higher risk of causing heart inflammation in teens, according to a report by the Washington Post. U.S. regulators are investigating the potential link as the Moderna vaccine continues to await approval for emergency use authorization for children 12- to 17-years-old. Moderna filed for emergency use authorization for that age group over two months ago. By comparison, the FDA approved Pfizer’s emergency use authorization request for children 12 and older for its COVID-19 vaccine about a month after the company applied. Currently, no vaccine is available to children under 12.
The FDA added a warning label for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines about an increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis, conditions where the heart becomes inflamed. So far, the side effect remains rare and mild, and people are much more likely to get myocarditis from the coronavirus than from the vaccine.
July 27, 2021
Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna to expand COVID-19 vaccine trials for kids ages 5 to 11
Coronavirus vaccine producers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are increasing the size of their clinical trials for children ages 5 to 11, a move to help detect rare side effects such as heart inflammation among people younger than 30, the New York Times reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has told the two vaccine producers that the size and scope of their pediatric studies were not adequate to detect those rare side effects, which include myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart), according to the newspaper.
June 29, 2021
Some teens are getting their COVID-19 shots without their parents’ consent. Can they do that?
Polling shows that many parents are reluctant to get their teenage children vaccinated against the coronavirus. But that doesn’t mean their children necessarily are, and some teens are getting the COVID-19 vaccine without their parents’ knowledge. Forty states require minors to have their parents’ permission before getting vaccinated. But, as the New York Times reports, some states and localities are relaxing those rules in response to the pandemic.
Bills have been filed in Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York to lower the age of consent in those states, and the District of Columbia city council has voted to lower the age of consent to 11. Meanwhile, policymakers in other states, such as South Carolina, aim to raise the age of consent for the COVID-19 vaccines.
June 29, 2021
Misinformation Alert: The WHO has not backtracked on its guidelines for kids and COVID-19 vaccines
No, the World Health Organization has not reversed its stance on children and COVID-19 vaccines. This is one of many false rumors circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms about the vaccines that public health officials are trying to stamp out.
The social media post includes an image from the WHO’s website saying that “children should not be vaccinated for the moment.”
But that quote is taken out of context. As Politifact and Kaiser Health News report, this is not a change in WHO’s stance, rather it’s long been the organization’s guidance that there is less urgency to vaccinate children who get less sick with coronavirus and that more evidence of the vaccine’s safety is needed to make recommendations for younger children. (A WHO spokesperson told Kaiser Health News and Politifact that the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts has said the vaccine developed by drugmaker Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech is suitable for children 12 and older.)
Several drug trials are currently underway to test vaccine efficacy and safety in children under 12. So far only the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can be administered to children 12 and older in the United States. You can read the entire fact check from KHN and Politifact here.
The false claim that the WHO has reversed its recommendation for children to get the COVID-19 vaccine is one of many circulating on social media that have been debunked by medical experts. Other rumors assert incorrectly that the vaccine causes infertility or changes a person’s DNA. As detailed in a myth-busting article on the COVID-19 vaccine from Johns Hopkins, there is no scientific backing, nor evidence from vaccine trials, that the COVID-19 vaccine does either of those things.
June 29, 2021
Schools play a vital role in convincing uncertain families to vaccinate their children
As fixtures in their communities, schools have long been a source of public health information for families. For that reason, schools are perfectly positioned to play a key role in helping students and their parents overcome uncertainty about the new COVID-19 vaccines (or even routine immunizations), say public health experts.
Connecting families to experts who can answer their questions, providing families with well-vetted information, incentivizing the vaccine through prizes, and normalizing the vaccine by sharing personal experiences are all tried and true ways to overcome vaccine hesitancy.
Public schools in New Orleans are using all of that and more to encourage students to get vaccinated in the hopes it will allow campuses to return to near normal this fall.
June 24, 2021
CDC vaccine safety group says link likely between adolescents, COVID-19 vaccine, and rare heart inflammation
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety group says there is likely a connection between receiving the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer and heart inflammation. So far this side effect has been rare and non-life-threatening. Mostly adolescents and young adults have been affected, and males more so than females.
The most recent data on the potential link between the COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation was presented Wednesday at a meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The CDC still says the benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks, even among adolescents and young adults.
June 17, 2021
CDC: Lags in childhood vaccines could spark outbreaks in other illnesses
Stay-home orders and other disruptions in the early months of the pandemic led to a dramatic drop in the number of students vaccinated against typical childhood diseases, the CDC says.
While families have started to bring their children back for doctor’s visits, it won’t be enough to recover the same level of protection for the large groups of students who will return to full-time, in-person learning this year without a major effort by schools.
June 10, 2021
Moderna asks FDA to authorize vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds
Biotechnology company Moderna has filed a request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for use among 12- to 17-year-olds.
If the FDA grants emergency use authorization to Moderna, this will significantly increase the number of vaccines available to adolescents ahead of next school year. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is currently the only one available to children as young as 12.
Data from drug trials found Moderna’s vaccine appears to have 100 percent efficacy among adolescents and caused similar side effects to those seen in adults.
June 8, 2021
COVID-19 vaccines for younger children could arrive this fall
COVID-19 vaccines for younger children are inching closer to reality. Pfizer announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its vaccine study in children under the age of 12 to 4,500 new participants. Based on results from the first phase of the trial, Pfizer will start testing smaller does of its vaccine, developed with German company BioNTech, in the younger age groups.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is the only one currently available for adolescents 12 years and older. Pfizer has previously said that it plans to apply for emergency use authorization for its vaccine in children as young as 2 in September.
Meanwhile, Moderna’s CEO says that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine will likely be available for children as young as 5 in the fall. Stéphane Bancel made the comments on Monday during an event hosted on the social media app Clubhouse, according to local news sources in Cambridge, Mass., where Moderna is headquartered.
May 25, 2021
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective and safe for adolescents, study shows
Biotechnology company Moderna has announced that drug trials show its COVID-19 vaccine is effective and safe for 12- through 17-year-olds. The company plans to submit this data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization in early June.
If the Moderna vaccine is authorized by the FDA, that will make two COVID-19 vaccines available to children 12 and older ahead of next school year. Currently, Pfizer’s vaccine is the only one authorized for emergency use for adolescents.
Initial data show the Moderna vaccine appears to have 100 percent efficacy in this age group, meaning no participant in the study caught COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated. The vaccine also appears to have an efficacy among adolescents of 93 percent two weeks following the first dose.
The study included 3,732 12 to 17-year-olds. Side effects from the vaccine were similar to those in adults, including pain at the injection sight, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, and chills.
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May 24, 2021
CDC monitoring small number of heart issues reported in recently vaccinated teens
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating to see if there is a potential connection between getting vaccinated against COVID-19 with an mRNA vaccine and developing a mild heart condition. There have been a few reports of people, mainly adolescents and young adults, developing a mild case of myocarditis most often within four days of receiving their second COVID-19 shot.
Myocarditis is when the heart muscle becomes inflamed. Pfizer and Moderna make the two mRNA vaccines currently authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration.
While the number of myocarditis cases among that age group is no higher than it normally is, the CDC’s vaccine safety working group tasked with continuously monitoring the COVID-19 vaccines as they are distributed recommended that the potential link should be watched closely and shared with healthcare providers.
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May 12, 2021
Can schools require kids to get the vaccine?
While some colleges and universities have made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for students, experts say it’s unlikely states will issue similar requirements for K-12 students any time soon. That’s true even as federal agencies expanded eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to children as young as 12 this week and states rushed to give them shots.
There’s a host of legal, political, and ethical questions involved in setting a new requirement, especially as COVID-19 vaccines are administered under an emergency-use authorization, which has allowed health providers to administer shots more quickly as the Food and Drug Administration considers more permanent approval.
And some health officials, leery after past debates with anti-vaccine activists, believe providing incentives for voluntary shots may be a more effective way of encouraging broad acceptance.
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May 12, 2021
Schools plan clinics to vaccinate eligible students
Education and health officials in Connecticut moved swiftly to set up clinics to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-old kids with Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the Associated Press reported.
Clinics have been held at schools in more than 30 districts for 16- to 18-year-olds and others are being planned that could be expanded to vaccinate younger students, according to the state department of education.
May 12, 2021
CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is officially recommending the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents ages 12 to 15.
This follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to grant the Pfizer vaccine emergency use authorization for that age group.
While the CDC’s endorsement of the Pfizer vaccine isn’t necessary to start immunizing 12- to 15-year-olds, and some states have already begun doing so, many clinics and pharmacies were waiting for the go-ahead from the CDC.
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May 10, 2021
FDA green lights vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds
The U.S. Food and Drug administration has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children as young as 12. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine the FDA has authorized for children 12- to 15-years-old. Until now, teens only as young as 16 could get the Pfizer shot.
The other two COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency use authorization from the FDA, developed by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, have not been authorized for anyone under age 18.
While children and adolescents generally experience less severe illness with COVID-19, inoculating them against the coronavirus is an important step in both beating back the pandemic and returning the nation’s schools to normal operations.
The FDA’s decision to grant emergency use authorization to Pfizer’s vaccine was based on an ongoing, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in the United States of 2,260 12- to 15-year-olds, according to the FDA. An analysis of that trial data found that the vaccine was 100 percent affective in that age group. As part of the emergency authorization, Pfizer will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccine in children as well as adults.
The most common side effect of the vaccine in the clinical trial were pain at the injection site, fever, headache, chills, muscle pain, tiredness, and joint pain—similar to what has been reported in adults.
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May 6, 2021
Survey finds parents hesitant to get children vaccinated right away
The latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll finds that only 3 in ten parents of children ages 12-15 plan to get their children immunized against COVID-19 as soon as a vaccine is available to them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNtech for emergency use for that age group as early as next week.
Twenty-six percent of parents surveyed said they plan to hold off for the time being, until they have had a chance to see how the vaccine is working in others. Eighteen percent said they will get their child vaccinated if their school mandates it, while nearly a quarter of parents said they will definitely not vaccinate their children against COVID-19.
Among parents of children of all ages, larger shares of white and Black parents said they do not intend to vaccinate their children compared with Latino parents. Twenty-nine percent of Black parents and 22 percent of white parents said they will not inoculate their children once a COVID-19 vaccine is available to them, while only 10 percent of Latino parents said the same.
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May 4, 2021
Biden announces vaccine goal, urges states to vaccinate adolescents
President Biden says the U.S. is ready to “move immediately” to make vaccines available at 20,000 pharmacy sites and through pediatricians as soon as FDA extends approval of the Pfizer vaccine for younger ages. He said he would urge states to get as many adolescents vaccinated with the first shot as possible by July 4, allowing time for full vaccination before the start of the 2021-22 school year.
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FDA to weigh emergency use authorization of Pfizer vaccine for children ages 2 to 11
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to consider emergency use authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine in children ages 2 to 11, according to CNN.
Pfizer expects to ask the federal agency for emergency use authorization as early as September, the company said during its first-quarter earnings teleconference on May 4, CNN reported.
Pfizer and Moderna are currently testing their vaccines in children as young as 6 months old and plan to ask the FDA for emergency use authorizations for infants and young children sometime later this year, according to CNN.
Data from the federal Centers for Disease Control show that more than 44 percent of the total U.S. population has received at least one vaccine dose and over 30 percent is fully vaccinated, according to the CNN story. But most of those people who have been vaccinated are adults.
Experts say one of the big challenges ahead is getting school age children vaccinated.
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May 3, 2021
FDA approval imminent for use of Pfizer vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds
The Food and Drug Administration is set to sign off soon on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children as young as 12, the New York Times reports. The approval will be a major development in the overall campaign to vaccinate more Americans and could go a long way toward ensuring healthy and safe operations of middle and high schools in the pandemic.
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April 13, 2021
Pfizer requests clearance to use vaccine in 12- to 15-year-olds
Pfizer and BioNtech requested April 9 that the Food and Drug Administration expand the emergency use authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine to allow it to be used in children age 12 to 15. Currently, the vaccine is authorized for emergency use for people age 16 and up.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced recently that their vaccine is safe and strongly effective for 12- to 15-year-olds, and that they hope to start vaccinating this age group before the start of next school year.
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April 6, 2021
Teens start to get vaccinated, paving way for return to normal
High school juniors and seniors are starting to be vaccinated against COVID-19—a watershed moment in the pandemic for schools.
More than 30 states have already opened vaccine eligibility to those 16 and up, according to a New York Times tracker, and most others plan to do so in the coming days or weeks.
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March 31, 2021
Pfizer says vaccine ‘strongly effective’ in teens
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 is safe and strongly effective for 12- to 15-year-olds, possibly accelerating the return to the classroom for millions of kids. In fact, the trial results show that the vaccine triggered robust immune responses that exceeded those seen in young adults.
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February 22, 2021
Fauci: Vaccines for young kids not likely this year
A COVID-19 vaccine probably won’t be ready for young schoolchildren until 2022, the country’s top infectious disease expert has said.
In a recent White House press briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, walked back his comments from a ProPublica interview, published Feb. 11, in which he said he was hopeful that children as young as 1st grade would be able to start getting vaccinated in the fall.
Fauci said it was unlikely there would be enough data from vaccine trials to approve a COVID-19 vaccine for elementary-age children until the first quarter of next year.
February 11, 2021
Fauci says young kids could start getting vaccinated by September
A COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 1st grade may be approved early next school year, the country’s top infectious disease expert has told ProPublica.
Authorization of a vaccine for young children will of course hinge on whether trials show the vaccine is effective and safe for those age groups. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he thinks it is likely that the vaccine will be authorized for elementary-aged children by September.
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December 3, 2020
Will a COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory for students?
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend schooling across the country, many educators, policymakers, parents, and students have staked their hopes of returning to normal on the development of a vaccine.
But once a vaccine becomes widely available, will lawmakers leave it up to families to choose to get inoculated or will they require schoolchildren to get a COVID-19 vaccine to attend school? Public polling shows that large swaths of the public are hesitant about getting a newly developed vaccine.
