The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved vaccines for children ages 6 months to 5 years old Saturday.
“This is really a big step,” said Dr. Andrew Pavia, University of Utah chief of pediatric infectious diseases. “We’ve had several months now in which there’s been a lot of disease out there, and younger children have not had any vaccine available to provide them any protection. So, I think for many parents, having the option to get your kids vaccinated is something that they’ve been eagerly waiting for.”
The vaccines approved for infants are made by Pfizer and Moderna. The Pfizer child doses are 10% samples of the adult doses and take three shots to provide immunity. The Moderna child doses are quarter samples and require just two shots.
Pavia said providers in Salt Lake City may begin administering shots as early as Tuesday, and local health departments and doctors’ offices could begin as early as Wednesday. He said select pharmacies will also provide them.
“What that means, I think,” Pavia said, “for many parents, they’ll want to make an appointment with their pediatrician to go and get vaccinated, but there are these other alternatives, particularly if they’re really in a hurry to do it.”
The announcement clears the way for more than 240,000 Utah children 5 and younger to get vaccinated.
While children aren’t being hospitalized for COVID as frequently as older demographics, Pavia advised there are usually between six and 12 children in Utah hospitals for the virus at a given time. He added that nationwide, COVID is now the fourth leading cause of death for 1-year-old children and the fifth leading cause for children 1 to 4.
Visit coronavirus.utah.gov for the latest on the statewide COVID response. Pavia recommended parents speak to their children’s healthcare providers for guidance on vaccines for their children.
