The United States ready to vaccinate young children against Covid-19 as early as November

Tens of millions of American children may also be eligible for their injections. The United States is actively preparing to be able to begin vaccination against Covid-19 of children aged 5 to 11 years with the Pfizer vaccine as early as next month, once the authorization has been given by the health authorities. "We will be ready to begin injections in the days following a final recommendation," the White House wrote in a statement.

Two health agencies must first decide. An advisory committee of the U.S. Drug Administration (FDA) will review the data provided by Pfizer next Tuesday. The FDA will then have to formally authorize the vaccine for that age group.

Then a committee of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet on November 2 and 3, and the precise recommendations of this federal agency on how to administer doses should follow very soon after that date.

28 million children to be vaccinated

"As soon as the FDA approves the vaccine, which is the first step in the process, we will start shipping ... About 15 million doses across the country," Jeff Zients, the White House pandemic coordinator, said at a press briefing.

The U.S. government has assured that the United States has procured enough doses to vaccinate the 28 million children in this age group. The latter will be able to receive their injections in more than 25,000 offices of pediatricians and other doctors, in pediatric hospitals, tens of thousands of pharmacies but also in some schools, said the executive.

Vaccine packaging has been modified to be easier to use by small structures, with packs of 10 vials (each containing 10 doses). The government will also provide the necessary equipment for injections, including needles smaller than those used for adults.

A national information campaign

"We know that millions of parents are waiting for Covid-19 vaccines for this age group," Zients said. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in late September, among parents with a child between the age of 5 and 11, about a third said they would vaccinate them as soon as possible. Another third said they would wait before making a decision, and a quarter said they wouldn't vaccinate them.

"We are preparing a national public information campaign for parents to receive information about the vaccine," said U.S. Chief Medical Officer Vivek Murthy. In particular, forums will be organized.

The Pfizer-BioNTech alliance had filed an application for emergency authorization of its vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 in early October. This application is based on clinical trials on more than 2,000 children aged 5 to 11 years. The companies reported that the vaccine was well-tolerated and triggered a "robust" immune response, "comparable" to that seen in 16- to 25-year-olds. The dosage was adjusted to 10 micrograms per injection, compared to 30 micrograms for the older groups.

The vaccine can be stored for up to 10 weeks at a standard refrigerator temperature. Younger people are less likely to develop severe cases of Covid-19, but can still get sick and contribute to the transmission of the virus among the population.

A few hundred miners have died of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic in the United States, according to CDC figures. In Israel, children aged 5 to 11 at risk of serious complications related to Covid-19 can already be vaccinated since August 1 with Pfizer, under a "special authorization".