NJ Infant, Toddler COVID Vaccines Could Come June 21

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey's youngest residents may soon become eligible for COVID vaccinations. President Joe Biden's administration projects that vaccines for children younger than 5 could become available as soon as June 21.

The White House anticipates that federal regulators will soon authorize COVID shots for children ages 6 months to 4 years. The Food and Drug Administration's outside panel of advisors will meet June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger children. Shipment to doctor's offices and pediatric-care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, according to Ashish Jha, the Biden administration's COVID coordinator.

The FDA committee will discuss whether to authorize three different COVID vaccines in mid-June:

• June 14: the Moderna vaccine for children ages 6-17
• June 15: the Pfizer vaccine for ages 6 months to 4 years and the Moderna vaccine for infants and children 6 months to 5 years old

Children younger than 5 remain the only age group ineligible for COVID vaccination in the United States. Jha acknowledged the "frustration" of parents of young children who have waited more than a year for their kids to get the shots.

"At the end of the day we all want to move fast, but we’ve got to get it right," Jha said.

The Biden administration has an initial supply of 10 million doses available. Jha anticipates that any parent who wants their young child to get vaccinated will be able to secure an appointment within weeks, with enough time to complete the vaccination series by the beginning of next school year.

The White House will press states to prioritize large-volume sites, such as children's hospitals, and to make appointments available outside regular work hours to ease the burden on parents.

Pfizer submitted an application for a three-dose regimen for children younger than 5. The pharmaceutical giant announced last month that its vaccine for younger children was 80 percent more effective against symptomatic COVID.

After regulators authorized Pfizer's vaccine for ages 5 to 11 last October, the initial rollout looks different from that of the Pfizer vaccines for adults. Upon approval, vaccination clinics at doctors' offices, hospitals, pharmacies, community health centers and in-school sites are slated to offer the smaller dose of the vaccine intended for children, with the administration adding that over 25,000 pediatric and primary care sites will provide shots.

Related articles:

• NJ To Start In-School Vaccine Clinics For Kids: Dept. Of Health
• Kids COVID Vaccine In NJ: New Timeline, Rollout Plan

Serious COVID illness or death from the virus has been less common with young children than older age demographics. But the CDC suggests getting eligible children vaccinated against COVID, because it can still make them sick enough to require hospitalization and can protect them from longterm complications.

"Vaccinating children can also help keep them in school or daycare and safely participating in sports, playdates, and other group activities," the CDC says.

A growing number of studies suggest vaccination may reduce the chances of developing long COVID — longterm health conditions that emerge after COVID illness, including from mild cases.

Research continues into the prevalence of long COVID in children. One study suggests long COVID may be less common in children and adolescents than adults, but the absence of a control group in most studies makes it difficult to make a more definite determination, according to research published in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

The CDC found that 1 in 5 adults experience a new condition a month or more after surviving COVID, according to new research. Adult COVID survivors have twice the risk of developing pulmonary embolism or respiratory conditions, according to the agency. Long COVID symptoms can also include neurologic and mental-health conditions, blood clots, kidney failure and cardiovascular conditions, the CDC says.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.