Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With Shots Already Being Boxed Up, CDC Expected To OK Covid Vax For Children
The Washington Post: CDC Expected To Sign Off On Vaccine For Children 5 To 11
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are meeting Tuesday to discuss giving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 and are expected to recommend moving forward. The Food and Drug Administration has already authorized the shots, which deliver about one-third of the vaccine dose given to adults. (Jeong, Suliman and Sun, 11/2)
AP: COVID Vaccine For Younger Kids Already Being Packed, Shipped
Anticipating a green light from vaccine advisers, the Biden administration is assembling and shipping millions of COVID-19 shots for children ages 5-11, the White House said Monday. The first could go into kids’ arms by midweek. “We are not waiting on the operations and logistics,” said coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 11/1)
In related news about vaccines for children —
Bloomberg: Pfizer Covid Vaccine Approval For Kids Will Close Hispanic Vaccine Gaps In U.S.
Emergency authorization for the Pfizer Inc. vaccine for kids five and up will almost certainly help boost vaccinations of minority populations in the U.S., which have continued to lag in recent months, particularly among Hispanic people. More than half the 48 million U.S. children ages 5 to 11 are children of color — one of the most diverse age groups in the country. Hispanic people are particularly over-represented among kids those ages. While they make up 18% of the total U.S. population, a quarter of 5- to 11-year-olds are Hispanic. An additional 13.3% of the age group are Black, 4.7% are Asian, and the remaining 6.7% are American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or multiracial. (Biekert, 11/1)
KHN: ‘Not Quite On Board’: Parents Proving A Tough Sell On Covid Vax For Teens
Even as the U.S. prepares to roll out a covid-19 vaccine to elementary school-aged kids, its efforts to inoculate teenagers — who have been eligible for the shot since May — continue to meet with a lackluster response. So far, about half of kids 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated in the U.S., compared with nearly 70% of Americans 18 and older. Pediatricians expect it will be even harder to persuade skeptical parents of younger children to get their kids inoculated. Many are concerned about the potential unknowns of a relatively new vaccine compared with the low risk of serious illness covid poses for children. (Gold and Young, 11/2)
The New York Times: How Often Do Covid Vaccines Cause Heart Problems in Kids?
Federal regulators are reviewing data on the link between Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine and a rare heart problem in adolescents, the company announced on Sunday. That side effect — myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle — has also worried advisers to federal agencies in deliberations regarding use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in younger children and teenagers. Scientists advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will review the latest data on the condition at a meeting on Tuesday before deciding whether to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for younger children.So how common is myocarditis, really? And should parents be concerned about vaccinating their children? (Mandavilli, 11/1)
