CDC recommends Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that children aged five to 11 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC with the recommendation has now expanded the COVID-19 vaccine to about 28 million children in the United States in this age group and allows providers to begin vaccinating them as soon as possible.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 cases in children can result in hospitalisations, deaths, MIS-C (inflammatory syndromes), and long-term complications, such as “long COVID,” in which symptoms can linger for months.

“The spread of the Delta variant resulted in a surge of COVID-19 cases in children throughout the summer. During a 6-week period in late June to mid-August, COVID-19 hospitalisations among children and adolescents increased fivefold.

“Vaccination, along with other preventative measures, can protect children from COVID-19 using the safe and effective vaccines already recommended for use in adolescents and adults in the United States. Similar to what was seen in adult vaccine trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years.

“In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting, and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm,” the statement from CDC read in part.

The CDC noted that COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

It added that vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reduce their risk of severe disease, hospitalisations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications.

CDC Director, Rochelle P. Walensky said, “Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19.

“We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated.”

By Lara Adejoro

https://healthwise.punchng.com/cdc-recommends-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-for-children/