Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Survey Says Most Parents Reluctant Over Young Kids' Shots, Despite Crisis
CNN: Most Parents Don't Plan To Vaccinate Young Children Against Covid-19 Right Away, KFF Survey Finds
A Covid-19 vaccine could be available for little kids soon, and public health leaders say vaccinating them could help end the pandemic -- but only if parents actually get them vaccinated. A new survey suggests that's uncertain at best. The majority of parents say they will not get their younger children vaccinated right away, according to the survey published Thursday from the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Christensen, 10/28)
NBC News: Why Even Some Vaccinated Parents Aren't Planning To Rush To Give Kids Covid Shot
Sarah Beth Burwick, a lawyer in Los Angeles, said she and her husband both got their Covid-19 vaccinations at “the earliest possible opportunity” and their two children received all of their childhood vaccinations “on the schedule, without even questioning it." But she's not planning to rush out to get the children, ages 5 and 2, vaccinated against Covid, even though one of them could be eligible as soon as next week. “There would need to be information out there to convince us it was necessary first," Burwick, 37, said. “I would say I think it’s unnecessary. And I’m uncomfortable with how quickly it’s rolling out with such a small study." (Silva, 10/27)
Axios: Fauci: "I Would Vaccinate Them In A Second"
NIAID director Anthony Fauci tells Axios even though the chances of young children getting seriously ill from COVID-19 are small he urges parents to immunize them once a vaccine is authorized. An FDA expert panel on Tuesday endorsed an emergency use authorization for a lower dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds, paving the way for another swath of the U.S. population to be vaccinated. (O'Reilly, 10/28)
In related news about covid vaccines for children —
CNBC: Covid Vaccines For Kids Ages 5 To 11: Safety, Side Effects, Other FAQs
Covid vaccines for young children are almost here — a critical step toward ending the pandemic. But plenty of American parents don’t plan on signing their kids up right away. On Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended a low dosage of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, setting the stage for roughly 28 million kids to become eligible for the vaccine as soon as next week. The FDA will likely approve the committee’s recommendation later this week and then send its findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a final decision. (Stieg, 10/27)
Los Angeles Times: COVID-19 Risk In Kids Is Small, But Vaccines Can Save Lives
Although the chances of serious illness and death from COVID-19 are exceedingly slim for children, experts say there’s a very good reason for parents to get their kids vaccinated. COVID-19 has become one of the leading causes of death in children nationwide. There were 66 COVID-related deaths among children ages 5 to 11 in the yearlong period that ended Oct. 2, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making COVID-19 the eighth-leading cause of death in that age group. (Lin II and Money, 10/27)
The Atlantic: The Next Big Questions About Kids' COVID Vaccinations
Some good news finally—finally—appears to be on the horizon for roughly 28 million of the United States’ youngest residents. On the heels of an advisory meeting convened yesterday, the FDA is likely on the cusp of green-lighting a kid-size dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for Americans ages 5 to 11, a move that’s been months in the making. After the agency’s expected emergency authorization, Pfizer’s formulation will need a recommendation from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who’s expected to weigh in next week, after her own advisory committee holds a vote. But the nation is ready: Already, 15 million pediatric doses of Pfizer’s vaccine—which will be administered at a third of the amount doled out to adults—have become available for states to order in advance. (Wu, 10/27)
USA Today: States Expecting Pfizer COVID Vaccine Doses For Kids Ahead Of Approval
Some states are preparing to receive hundreds of thousands of doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 next week, ahead of full authorization by regulatory bodies. The vaccines for children, which will be at lower doses than the adult vaccines, were backed by an FDA advisory committee earlier this week, and could receive full approval by as early as next week. The FDA will decide whether to authorize the child vaccines, and then the CDC will make a decision on whether to recommend the shots. (Santucci, 10/28)
Los Angeles Times: California Plans Ambitious Effort To Vaccinate Young Children
California health officials said Wednesday that they are prepared to pull out all the stops to vaccinate children ages 5 to 11 against COVID-19 as the country draws closer to authorizing eligibility for that age group. Though a number of federal and state hurdles remain, state officials said they are preparing to offer doses to the roughly 3.5 million children in that age group by the end of next week, as the holiday season approaches. (Money and Lin II, 10/27)
