AMA statement on COVID-19 vaccines for children under age 5

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The following statement is attributable to:
Jack Resneck Jr., M.D.
President, American Medical Association

“Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization on Friday, today’s action by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to unanimously recommend use of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months of age is a vital step in protecting many more children from COVID-19. Many parents across the U.S. have anxiously awaited a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for their children—having foregone normal daily activities for the past several years to protect their youngest children from the virus. Parents will breathe a sigh of relief knowing these vaccines will very soon be available.

“Based on a rigorous review of the scientific data, FDA authorized and ACIP recommended a two dose primary series of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years of age. For the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a three dose primary series is authorized and recommended for children 6 months to 4 years of age. We look forward to the final recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) director on use of the vaccines.

“According to the CDC, COVID-19 is a leading cause of death among children ages 0-19 years. Since the beginning of the pandemic, among children in the U.S. aged 6 months to 4 years, there have been more than 2 million cases of COVID-19, more than 20,000 hospitalizations, and more than 200 deaths. We urge parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. While there is overwhelming scientific evidence showing the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, we know many parents and families still have questions. We encourage parents to speak with their child’s physician and review trusted resources, such as getvaccineanswers.org, to get the information they need to make an informed decision. We also encourage the use of v-safe, a smartphone-based tool that helps the CDC monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety.

“It is imperative that all parents in all jurisdictions have access to the vaccine for infants and children and we are hopeful that millions more children will receive the vaccine in the coming weeks and months—reducing their risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death.”