FDA Panel Approves COVID-19 Shot For Kids Under 5, What It Means In WA

SEATTLE — Almost all Washingtonians have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine for some time now, but the final unauthorized age group — children under five — may soon be able to get their shots as well. The Food and Drug Administration’s outside vaccine advisers on Wednesday voted to approve the Moderna vaccine for use in children under five.

The panel voted unanimously in favor of approval, the Associated Press reported, arguing that the protection the Moderna shots provide far outweighed any potential health risks for youngsters. The same panel is set to make a decision on Pfizer's three-dose pediatric series shortly.

The Moderna series is considered effective for children ages 6 months to 5 years, while Pfizer is seeking approval for children ages 6 months to 4 years.

However, the move doesn't mean younger Washingtonians can get their vaccine doses just yet. The FDA still needs to grant emergency use authorization, which it is expected to do before week's end. A Centers for Disease Control Prevention advisory panel will also vote Friday and Saturday on whether to endorse the shots, NBC News reported.

Finally, Washington and other West Coast states will wait on a review from scientists with the Western States Pact, who will give the final approval — which typically takes a day or less after FDA and CDC approval — before Washingtonians under five can get their COVID-19 shots.

Approving the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 makes an estimated 18 million American toddlers eligible for vaccination. While young children are usually at lower risk for serious COVID-related health complications than older adults, they can act as transmission vectors, and in rare cases can still get severely ill or even die. 442 children under the age of 4 have died due to the pandemic, the FDA said. Health experts say inoculating the youngsters should help drive down COVID-19 case rates, which, in Washington, have recently begun to decline after several months of consistent growth.

As of the latest update to the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 data dashboard, over 14 million COVID vaccines have been administered inside the Evergreen State, 75 percent of the total population has taken at least one vaccine dose. 79.7 percent of Washingtonians 5 years old or older who are currently eligible for vaccination have also taken their first shots.