(Washington, DC, Wednesday, November 10, 2021) – The FDA and CDC have granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. With this decision, the vaccine will now be available across the country to this younger population. This is an important opportunity to give parents, guardians and caregivers trusted information about the vaccine for this younger population.
A recent poll released by the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project and the National Association of School Nurses showed that two-thirds of parents with children ages 5-11 years old said they were likely to get them vaccinated against COVID-19 once a vaccine is authorized for that age group. Among unvaccinated parents of school-aged children, the biggest factor in their own decision not to get vaccinated was a worry that the vaccines were developed too quickly (63 percent say it impacted their decision “a lot”), followed by concern about potential side effects (57 percent), and wanting to wait for more information (48 percent). These reasons mirror those given for why they have not, or do not plan to, vaccinate their child.
With the school year in full swing, families have a lot of questions about the vaccine and how to keep their children safe. Dr. Ada Stewart discusses the vaccine for children and help clear up misconceptions that may exist.
About the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project:
As more than 225 leading organizations representing patients, caregivers and families, diverse communities, healthcare workers, older Americans, veterans, frontline workers and scientists, the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project launched in December 2020 to provide information about the clinical trials process, regulatory review, distribution of and access to potential COVID-19 vaccines in a way that promotes equity and trust. Support for the project has been provided by Pfizer, Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Novartis. Learn more at covidvaccineproject.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn at @COVIDVxProject.
Dr. Ada Stewart Bio:
Ada D. Stewart, MD, FAAFP, a family physician with Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, is board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 133,500 physicians and medical students nationwide. As AAFP board chair, Stewart advocates on behalf of family physicians and patients to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system.