WA Children Under 5 May Be Vaccine-Eligible Later This Month

WASHINGTON — Children under five could start getting their coronavirus vaccinations by the end of the month, if the Food and Drug Administration approves an emergency authorization request from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

Pfizer is expected to file the request Tuesday. If approved, it would then need to be reviewed by the Western States Scientific Safety Advisory Group before Washington's health care providers get the go-ahead.

If that happens, the two-shot vaccine regimen for children under 5 will be the first vaccine available to very young children, The Washington Post reported. Older children ages 5-12 can already be vaccinated. When the Pfizer vaccine was first approved for children under 12, the state estimated that only around 30 percent of parents would seek out vaccination, but data shows youth vaccination has proved relatively popular. 69.9 percent of Washington's population 5 and older are currently fully vaccinated, according to the DOH, and 77.2 percent have initiated vaccination.

Here are four things to know:

1. Third Dose Will Likely Be Needed

The early data on vaccines for younger children, who receive dosages that contain about one-tenth the amount of vaccine as adult shots, showed they were safe for that age group and produced an immune response. But when Pfizer said it was less effective at preventing COVID-19 in kids ages 2-5, regulators urged the company to add a third shot to the vaccine regimen, believing it would boost immunity as it does in adults, The Associated Press reported.

2. The FDA Reversed Course

Though it first encouraged Pfizer to develop a booster shot similar to the one authorized for other age groups, the FDA later asked the company to submit its application for a two-dose regimen for approval this month.

3. Two-Step Regimen Speeds Up The Process

Pfizer could come back later and ask the FDA for another emergency authorization for the third dose if it’s supported by data. Approving the two-dose regimen now gets the shots into young children’s arms about a month sooner than previously estimated, assuming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention greenlights the shots.

4. Vaccinating Young Kids Could Get Parents Back To Work

The Biden administration believes vaccinating children is critical to keeping schools and day care centers open, therefore freeing up their parents to return to the workforce.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.