Shots for tots – COVID-19 vaccinations start for little US kids
LITTLE Fletcher Pack woke up on Monday morning and asked: “Is today vaccine day?”
For the 3-year-old from Lexington, South Carolina, the answer was yes.
The nation’s infants, toddlers and preschoolers are finally getting their chance at COVID-19 vaccination as the US rolls out shots for tots this week. Shipments arrived in some locations over the weekend and some spots, including a Walgreens in South Carolina and another in New York City, opened up appointments for Monday.
Fletcher’s mother said once her son is fully vaccinated, he can finally go bowling and visit the nearby children’s museum.
“He’s never really played with another kid inside before,” McKenzie Pack said.
“This will be a really big change for our family.”
She began seeking an appointment last week as US regulators took steps to OK the vaccines for kids 6 months to 5 years old.
“It’s just relief,” said Ms Pack.
“With this vaccine, that’ll be his best shot at going back to normal and having a normal childhood.”
The Food and Drug Administration greenlighted the Moderna and Pfizer kid shot s on Friday and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended them Saturday. In the US, COVID-19 vaccines were first tested and given in late 2020 to health care workers and older adults.
Teens and school-age kids were added last year.
“This is certainly an exciting moment in what has become a very long campaign to vaccinate people against COVID-19,” said Dr Matthew Harris, an emergency room pediatrician at Northwell Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. Many parents have been anxiously awaiting the rollout, and Dr Harris said shots for his own 9-month-old are a “matter of when, not if”.
Roughly 18 million youngsters under 5 are eligible.