Mary BoyteChildren aged 5-11 in Oxford are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in younger children. Previously, only those 12 years of age and older were eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson remain available only for those 18 and older.
Parents in Mississippi will have the opportunity to get their children vaccinated at county health departments starting today.
Jenna Lynn Mason, a mother of two in the Oxford area, said that she sees this access as a blessing.
“With the uptick in child COVID cases, we’ve been anxious to get our eleven year old vaccinated like her fourteen year old brother,” Mason said.
Mason said she is relieved to be able to vaccinate her daughter before the holiday season, instead of waiting until her 12th birthday in the spring.
“She’ll be able to hang out with all her cousins — unmasked — for Thanksgiving!” she said.
Mason acknowledged that this step forward is a relief to many parents who have experienced a “mental, emotional and physical” toll during the past two years.
Another local mom, Kari Kohne Davis, said she is thrilled with the recent decision. Davis has a daughter who will be turning five this November.
Davis emphasized the fact that children already have to get several vaccines, including Influenza and Measles immunizations, in order to go to school. She hopes other parents will see these requirements as evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine is a good idea.
“I understand parents’ fear of what this vaccination might do long term,” David said. “But studies have shown more bad things have happened to those who are unvaccinated.”
Pfizer-BioNTech reported in late September that their vaccine yielded extremely positive results in a trial involving over 2,000 participants aged 5-11. The vaccine tested contained one-third of the dosage of those given to adults. The company then submitted the data to the FDA for consideration for emergency use.
The FDA Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee met Tuesday, Oct. 26, to decide whether or not Pfizer’s data proved that the vaccine is safe for children. They listened to and discussed presentations from the Centers for Disease Control.
The final vote was overwhelmingly in favor of providing the vaccine to children. Out of 18 members, 17 voted in favor and one abstained.
The CDC followed suit and officially recommended the Pzfizer vaccine on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
On Oct. 20, President Joe Biden announced his plan to provide vaccines to children. If approved, the Biden administration vowed to start sending out vials as quickly as possible. The vaccines offered will contain a diluted dosage and will be given in two stages, three weeks apart.
As of Thursday, Nov. 4, 58% of people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated. This number lags behind the estimated 90% needed for herd immunity. Many experts are hopeful that extending the opportunity to the approximately 28 million children aged 5-11 residing in the U.S. will help close the gap.
According to the CDC, over 160 children aged 5-11 in the US have died from COVID-19 and nearly 2 million have been diagnosed with the virus. While these numbers are significantly less than those of adults, the data is extremely alarming to many. Recently, there has been much debate over the ethics of vaccinating young children.
Whether or not parents choose to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, Pfizer’s approval for emergency use marks another step closer to reaching herd immunity.
