COVID Vaccines For Kids Under 5 Are Coming To CA

CALIFORNIA — Health officials around the Golden State are gearing up to inoculate children as young as 6 months old starting Tuesday after federal officials approved the vaccines for children under age 5.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unanimously approved giving COVID-19 vaccines to children as young as 6 months old on Saturday. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the decision the same day.

“We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” Walensky said in a statement.

The approval applies to vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer- BioNTech.

The move comes one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the two vaccines for the younger age group. While the FDA approves vaccines, it’s the CDC that decides who should get them.

“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age. As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said in a statement.

For the youngest eligible children, Pfizer’s vaccine will be offered for children 6 months to 4 years old. The dose is one-tenth of the adult dose, and three shots are needed. The first two are given three weeks apart, and the last at least two months later.

Moderna’s is two shots, each a quarter of its adult dose, given about four weeks apart for kids 6 months through 5 years old. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second shot, for children with immune conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious illness.

In studies, vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies as strong as young adults, suggesting that the kid-size doses protect against coronavirus infections.
However, exactly how well they work is hard to pin down, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

Two doses of Moderna appeared to be only about 40 percent effective at preventing milder infections at a time when the omicron variant was causing most COVID-19 illnesses. Pfizer presented study information suggesting the company saw 80 percent with its three shots. But the Pfizer data was so limited — and based on such a small number of cases — that experts and federal officials say they don’t feel there is a reliable estimate yet.

Health officials are urging parents to inoculate their children to help prevent more infections.

“Whatever vaccine your health care provider, pediatrician has, that’s what I would give my child," Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's vaccine chief said Friday.

California has placed orders for the pediatric versions of both Moderna and Pfizer and expects a shipment of 243,000 doses to arrive by early next week, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Appointments can be made through the state's online vaccination platform MyTurn.ca.gov.

More than 35 percent of California's children aged 5 to 11 have been fully vaccinated and 67.1 percent of children 12 to 17 have also gotten both shots, according to state data.

In Los Angeles, over the past three months, unvaccinated children aged 12-17 were nearly four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID than vaccinated children. Among vaccine-eligible children in the county who contracted confirmed cases of MIS-C in the county, 65% were unvaccinated, according to the county.

"As we have seen with adults, children can experience short and long- term health problems from COVID-19," county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. "Vaccinations are a proven safety measure that protect your entire family, including now your youngest children, from severe illness and death from COVID. The development and approval of the vaccines for children under age 5 have gone through a rigorous evaluation and approval process as with all other routine childhood vaccines.

"As we make plans to gather with family and to enjoy the summer and upcoming holidays, now is the time to make sure that all our children are fully vaccinated. Vaccinated children and adults add an essential layer of protection for the entire community, especially with the proliferation of new, highly infectious variants."

About 84 percent of California's population is fully vaccinated, according to state data.

California's latest COVID-19 surge has driven the testing positivity rate up to 10.5 percent, elevated from 8.9 percent on June 7. The state was reporting 12 deaths per day related to those who tested positive for the virus when they died.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.