CA To Vaccinate Kids Aged 5 To 11 Amid CDC's OK [Survey]

CALIFORNIA — Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine received unanimous authorization from federal regulators on Tuesday, bringing the Golden State one step closer to vaccinating children aged 5 to 11.

The lower-dose vaccine needs only one final green light, from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walensky's OK was expected later Tuesday.

"Today is a monumental day in the course of this pandemic," Walensky told the advisory panel Tuesday.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of child-size doses. CDC regulators Tuesday unanimously recommended smaller doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5 to 11.

The state could start administering about 1.2 million doses to youngsters this week at clinics across the state, many of which will be set up on public school campuses.

SEE SURVEY RESULTS: Should Vaccines Be Required For CA Kids 5 To 11? Readers Weigh In

"Our youngest children have remained vulnerable to the highly contagious virus as older Californians have received their vaccine," Dr. Erica Pan, the state's top epidemiologist, said last week, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Now the time is coming to protect them."

While the risk of severe disease or death is lower in young children, Walensky emphasized that the pandemic has had an extreme effect on children.

"There are children in the second grade who have never experienced a normal school year," Walensky said. "Pediatric vaccination has the power to help us change all of that."

Doctors who cared for hospitalized youngsters hope parents embrace Pfizer’s child shots, saying they’re safe and far better than gambling that a child will escape a coronavirus infection.

“I’ve seen plenty of children in this age group that have been seriously ill,” said Dr. Matthew Linam, an infectious disease specialist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “The risk of significant infection is still very real in this population.”

More than 8,300 children aged 5 to 11 have been hospitalized, about a third requiring intensive care, according to government data. The CDC recorded at least 94 deaths in that age group.

The FDA's advisory panel found that smaller-sized doses of Pfizer vaccines appeared to be highly effective at preventing symptomatic infections in children aged 5 to 11.

One study of clinical data showed that Pfizer had a 90.7 percent efficacy rate at preventing COVID-19 in children 5 to 11 during a time when the delta variant was rampant in the U.S., according to Pfizer.

"I think a lot of parents wonder, well, 'Why ... COVID hasn't affected kids as much,'" Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's top public health official, said at a Wednesday news briefing. "The truth is ...[COVID-19 is] among the top 10 killers of kids in the last year. CDC announced it is the eighth-leading killer of young people."

Nationwide, COVID-19 has killed more than 600 children, according to the CDC. In the Golden State, 37 children have died from the virus, according to the California Department of Public Health.

With the authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for children, a vaccine mandate could also be on the horizon for most school children. The state's policy, however, won't activate fully until vaccines for all ages are fully authorized by the FDA.

READ MORE: CA School Vaccine Mandate Coming Soon, But Questions Remain

In August, California became the first state in the nation to require vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing for all teachers and school employees. All students will also be required to get a vaccine as soon as January, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last month.

The rule, however, leaves the final decision to parents whether they would like to opt out for personal reasons, since the mandate comes from the governor's office and not the Legislature, EdSource reported.

"Ten vaccines have been required to send your kids to school for decades and decades — this is nothing new," Newsom said after receiving a Moderna booster shot at a news conference in Oakland last week.

The governor on Wednesday pleaded with eligible residents to get a booster shot to avoid a repeat of 2020's deadly winter spike.

All people 65 and older, as well as residents 50 and older with underlying health conditions, became eligible for an additional dose last week. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may also get a booster shot and will be able to receive any COVID-19 vaccine as a booster.

"If you're eligible — get your booster," Newsom said. "Protect yourself and loved ones this winter."