By Jonathan Tran
Across the United States, everyone ranging from teens to the elderly have the opportunity to receive doses of the COVID vaccine. However, children under age five are still unable to receive the COVID vaccination.
The vaccine for children under five was initially composed of two doses. The US government planned to give out the 10 million doses by the end of February. However, lab results and testing determined that the two doses do not offer enough effective protection against the virus for certain children.
“The companies reported that two doses of the pediatric vaccine failed in 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds to trigger an immune response comparable to what was generated in teens and older adults,” Washington Post writer Carolyn Y. Johnson said.
Pfizer and other vaccine companies planned to implement a third dose to the vaccine to add an extra layer of protection against the virus, causing the recent delay in the distribution of the vaccine to children under five.
If the three doses are effective, the CDC will give the green light for the immediate authorization, production, and distribution of the COVID vaccines to the children.
The new expected date of when the vaccines will be authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is around April.
Due to the rise in the Omicron strain of COVID, infection rates increased, and some parents expressed frustration with the recent delays of the vaccine. An increase in the hospitalization rates of young children was also seen with the all-time peak being seen during the Omicron surge.
As a result, parents have been concerned with their younger children catching the virus.
However, a preprint of new medical research about the effects of COVID infections for children under 5 concluded that “the Omicron variant is much less severe and threatening than the Delta variant for children under five.”
The FDA has committed to ensuring the vaccine is safe and supported with data before they will allow the vaccine’s administration to younger children.
“The agency will ensure the data support effectiveness and safety before authorizing a COVID-19 vaccine for use in our youngest children,” the FDA said.
For the time being, the best measures for keeping children safe from the virus are following COVID protocols and guidelines as outlined by the CDC, including wearing masks. Orange County still places a strong emphasis on COVID guidelines and restrictions to minimize the spread of the virus as much as possible.
