From Reuters:
“U.S. vaccinated 600,000
12-15-year olds last week -health official”
The United States administered
COVID-19 vaccinations to around 600,000 children ages 12 to 15 last week after
regulators cleared Pfizer Inc’s (PFE.N) and BioNTech’s shots for use in that
age group, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle
Walensky said in a media call on Tuesday. In total, more than 4 million people
under 17 have been vaccinated in the United States so far, she added. Top U.S.
infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci said he expects that by the end of
2021 the United States will have enough safety data to vaccinate children of
any age.
U.S. regulators last week
authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children as young as 12. Most
states began issuing shots to children last Thursday but some, including Georgia,
started sooner. Pfizer’s shot is the first to be cleared in the United States
for children 12 to 15. Vaccinating younger ages is considered important for
getting children back into schools safely. U.S. President Joe Biden has asked
states to make the vaccine available to younger adolescents immediately. The
vaccine has been available under an emergency use authorization to people as
young as 16 in the United States since December. Most children with COVID-19
develop only mild symptoms or no symptoms. Yet children remain at risk of
becoming seriously ill, and they can spread the virus.
Widely vaccinating 12- to 18-year
olds could allow U.S. schools and summer camps to relax masking and social distancing
measures suggested by the CDC.Fauci also said on Tuesday that existing COVID-19
shots probably also protect against the new variant of the coronavirus first
found in India, which has been battling the world’s biggest jump in COVID-19
infections.
^ 600,000 in a week is a lot. Hopefully,
more will get vaccinated and can have a great Summer. ^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.