Written by MIKE STOBBE

Millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been ordered for small children in anticipation of possible federal authorization next week, White House officials say.

The government allowed pharmacies and states to start placing orders last week, with 5 million doses initially available — half of them shots made by Pfizer and the other half the vaccine produced by Moderna, senior administration officials said.

As of this week, about 1.45 million of the 2.5 million available doses of Pfizer have been ordered, and about 850,000 of available Moderna shots have been ordered, officials said. More orders are expected in the coming days.

Young children are the last group of Americans who have not been recommended to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Up to about 20 million U.S. children under 5 would become eligible for vaccination if the government authorizes one or both shots.

It’s not clear how popular the shots will be. A recent survey suggests only 1 in 5 parents of young children would get their kids vaccinated right away.

And public health officials have been disappointed at how many older U.S. children, who have been eligible for shots for months, have yet to be vaccinated: Less than one-third of kids ages 5 to 11 have gotten the two recommended doses, according to government figures.

“As we go down in the age groups, we see lower and lower uptake” of vaccines, said Dr. Lucia Abascal of the California Department of Public Health.

Pfizer has asked FDA to authorize three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 month to 4 years. Each dose is one-tenth of the amount adults receive.

Moderna has asked FDA to authorize two shots for kids ages 6 months to 5 years, each containing a quarter of the dose given to adults.

The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of vaccines, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues recommendations to doctors and the public about using them.

An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday to review data from the two companies. Officials say they expect a FDA decision shortly after that meeting.

A CDC advisory committee is scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, with a CDC decision expected soon after.

Vaccinations should begin in earnest as early as June 21, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters last week.

 

Photo via Pfizer and Associated Press.

 

Related Stories
‹
US Clears Updated COVID Boosters Targeting Newest Variants
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD The U.S. on Wednesday authorized its first update to COVID-19 vaccines, booster doses that target today’s most common omicron strain. Shots could begin within days. The move by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that already have saved millions of lives. The hope […]
Pfizer Asks FDA To Allow COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Under 5
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. In an extraordinary move, the Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and […]
Pfizer COVID-19 Shot Expanded to U.S. Children as Young as 12
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD and CANDICE CHOI U.S. regulators on Monday expanded the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12, offering a way to protect the nation’s adolescents before they head back to school in the fall and paving the way for them to return to more normal activities. Shots could begin […]
World Trade Body Chief Says Vaccine Inequity ‘Unacceptable’
The head of the World Trade Organization called Thursday for expanded capability in developing countries to manufacture vaccines, saying the gaping imbalance in access to coronavirus vaccines that mostly favors rich, developed countries was unacceptable. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said she supports the creation of a framework that would give developing countries “some automaticity and […]
National Expert: Getting Kids Vaccinated Before School is 'Best Thing to Do'
Younger children are the age demographic that had the longest waits for COVID-19 vaccines to be approved. So far, their vaccination rates reflect that gap of time, but urgency around getting those initial doses has slowed to a crawl. With a new school year being just around the corner, though, federal health officials are saying […]
Marathon US Hearings To Decide Fate of COVID Shots for Tots
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD Parents anxious to finally vaccinate their youngest children against COVID-19, strap in: A lot is set to happen over the next week. On Wednesday, both Moderna and Pfizer will have to convince what’s essentially a science court — advisers to the Food and Drug Administration — that their shots work well in babies, toddlers and […]
Data Indicate Omicron Is Milder, Better at Evading Vaccines
Written by ANDREW MELDRUM The omicron variant appears to cause less severe disease than previous versions of the coronavirus, and the Pfizer vaccine seems to offer less defense against infection from it but still good protection from hospitalization, according to an analysis of data from South Africa, where the new variant is driving a surge in […]
Few North Carolina Children 5-11 Vaccinated in Early Rollout
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON Few North Carolina parents had their children vaccinated in the first days COVID-19 shots were available for kids age 5 to 11, according to the latest data collected by the state Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s top public health official, said in a Wednesday news […]
Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine More Than 90% Effective in Kids
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine appear safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year-olds, according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that age group. The shots could begin in early November — with the first children […]
Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine Works in Kids Ages 5 to 11
Written by LAURAN NEERGAARD Pfizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and […]
›