Many North American parents of little ones have been through difficult times waiting for their vaccines. ABC News chatted with Dr. Sean O’Leary, vice-chair of American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases. He was comfortable kids under five in a COVID pandemic should have the protection they deserve soon.
Safer Living in a Pandemic for Kids Under Five
Pfizer’s release of data regarding its three-shot vaccine for kids under 5 triggered the ABC News article on May 24, 2022. Parents should be pleased with the news of 80% Pfizer success, especially after waiting two years to get to this point.
However, the final decision will only come in June 2022, when U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA reviews both vaccines. It will reexamine the data on both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for kids under five living in a pandemic. Only then will we finally know if they may receive it safely.
We’re all hoping this will be the case, as U.S. experiences yet another COVID-19 wave. Total daily cases for all ages are creeping over the 100,000 mark again. But then they did tell us from the beginning that COVID would come back again and again like the flu.
Vaccination Rates for Older Children Remain Slow
A disappointing 28% of U.S. 5 to 11 year-olds have full vaccination according to ABC News. Those aged 12 to 17 year are doing better at 58%. This data comes from CDC via American Academy of Pediatrics. Does this mean COVID fatigue will overcome parental common sense?
“I think we all want to be done with this pandemic but unfortunately, it’s not quite done with us.” So says Dr. Sean O’Leary, vice-chair of American Academy of Pediatrics committee on infectious diseases.
“We are in a much different place,” he continues, “than we were two years ago. That’s in terms of both the therapeutics available to treat the disease, and the vaccines. The benefits are showing in a decreased spread of the disease, and a decrease in hospitalizations too.”
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