Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Unveils Plan To Quickly Vaccinate Children Ages 5-11
Roll Call: White House Prepares For Younger Kids' COVID-19 Vaccinations
Vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 against COVID-19 will require an approach that differs from vaccinating adults, and the White House on Wednesday announced additional steps it is taking to prepare states for new protocols to vaccinate school-age kids even though the shots are not yet authorized. The United States has enough supply to vaccinate the 28 million kids in this group who could become eligible once the Food and Drug Administration authorizes the shot, which is expected as early as next week. In the first week after the anticipated authorization, the administration plans to ship 15 million doses for this group. (Cohen, 10/20)
Axios: White House Unveils Plan To "Quickly" Vaccinate Kids Ages 5-11
The White House on Wednesday released its plan to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11, pending authorization from the Food and Drug Administration of the first COVID-19 shot for that age group. The White House said it has secured enough vaccine supply to equip more than 25,000 pediatric and primary care offices, hundreds of school and community health clinics, as well as tens of thousands of pharmacies, to administer the shots. (Gonzalez, 10/20)
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine For Kids Ages 5-11 To Be Given At Pediatric Offices, Schools Once Authorized
In a step to extend the reach of its Covid-19 vaccination drive, the Biden administration is preparing to distribute shots to children at doctors’ offices, pharmacies and schools should federal regulators clear the inoculations for kids ages 5-11. The Biden administration said it has procured enough doses to vaccinate the nation’s children and will begin shipping supplies if and when the shots are cleared for use. Officials aim to have a plan in place as soon as young children are eligible in hopes of getting as many as possible vaccinated quickly. (Siddiqui and Hopkins, 10/20)
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The Boston Globe: Vaccinating 5- To 11-Year-Olds Against COVID Could Help Tame The Pandemic, But Some Parents Will Need Persuasion
Nationwide, some 28 million youngsters, ages 5 to 11 — roughly 8 percent of the country’s population — would be eligible for the shots if authorized by federal health regulators at their upcoming meetings starting next Tuesday. Yet many parents are hesitant, as on the one hand, studies show that kids can harbor high levels of coronavirus as well as transmit the lethal disease to others, yet on the other, they are unlikely to become seriously ill themselves. Heightening anxiety are reports of a very rare but concerning risk among teens of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart, and pericarditis, an inflammation of the outer lining of the heart, after getting vaccinated. (Lazar, 10/20)
