CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 on Saturday.
News of Walensky signing off on it comes hours after CDC advisory panel unanimously agreed that COVID-19 vaccines should be made available to children as young as 6 months.
The CDC's vote comes the same week the Food and Drug Administration authorized Moderna’s and Pfizer’s COVID-19 shots for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Earlier in the week, an FDA advisory panel unanimously found that both vaccines were “safe and effective” for use in children in that young age group.
Pfizer would come as a three-dose vaccine for children 6 months to 4 years old, and Moderna’s two-dose vaccine would be for children 6 months to 5 years old.
The dosage for children for both vaccines will be significantly lower than the adult version.
Each dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is one-tenth the level adults get, and Moderna’s vaccine is only a fourth of what adults receive.
Children in those age groups are the only ones not currently eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Biden administration is gearing up to start rolling out the shots early next week, the Associated Press reported.
With Monday being the Juneteenth federal holiday, shots might not be available until Tuesday.
