The way has been cleared for children aged six months to five years to receive vaccinations against COVID-19 infection.
The Food and Drug Administration granted the Emergency Use Authorization on June 17 for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to be administered to children as young as six months old.
“As with all vaccines for any population, when authorizing COVID-19 vaccines intended for pediatric age groups, the FDA ensures that our evaluation and analysis of the data is rigorous and thorough,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
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Moderna had been authorized for age 18 years and older. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine had been authorized for age five and older.
On June 18, the CDC’s Advisory Committee and Immunization Practices, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, followed suit. The expanded authorization means nearly 20 million additional children are now eligible for vaccination.
“We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated,” said Walensky. “I encourage parents and caregivers with questions to talk to their doctor, nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and the importance of protecting their children by getting them vaccinated.”
Local healthcare agencies were quick to react to the announcements from their counterparts at the federal government level.
“We’re very glad to see that they did exactly what they do on a day in and day out basis. And that is scrutinize the data, make sure everything was really in line and appropriate and, and then get it authorized as fast as they could, once they felt very confident. We also feel confident in the data that shows that these are very safe and effective for even the youngest children,” said Dr. Brannon Traxler, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s public health director.
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Dr. Rodger MacArthur, infectious disease specialist at Augusta University Health, said he’s seen studies that about 20% of parents plan to get their child vaccinated immediately while between 20% and 25% said they never will have their child vaccinated. About 40% said they plan to wait and see.
“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf.
“As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death.
MacArthur said the development of diabetes is one of the severe outcomes being reported in unvaccinated children in the under 18 years old age group who contract COVID-19.
“It seems like there is a link between having COVID-19, getting sick to some extent with it, not necessarily seriously ill and then a month later, developing diabetes. And that has happened to at least one neighbor of mine with one or two of her kids,” he said. “So, if the vaccine can prevent that or make that less likely, and we don’t know that yet, but if it can I think that’s a huge reason to get the kids under age five vaccinated.”
MacArthur said typically when young people develop diabetes, it’s type one. It appears to not have the same risk factors such as obesity that can lead to type two diabetes and unclear whether they will require the use of insulin.
In its January 14 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the CDC wrote:
“Evidence of increased pediatric type 1 diabetes has been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among persons under aged 18 years with COVID-19 and new diabetes diagnoses in this study, nearly one half had Diabetic Ketoacidosis at or around the time of diagnosis. This number was higher than that in comparison groups, and higher than previous reports of DKA among incident type 1 diabetes cases before the pandemic. … COVID-19 has disproportionately affected racial/ethnic minority groups, and those aged <18 years in these groups are also at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. An association between COVID-19 and new pediatric diabetes diagnoses might disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minority groups.”
The report said healthcare providers should screen for diabetes symptoms, including frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger, weight loss and tiredness or fatigue.
MacArthur and Traxler both said another good reason for having a child vaccinated is the protection it affords, not just to the children, but to older family members and those with compromised immune systems.
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Traxler said the timing of the authorizations can also help parents who have children who will need mandatory vaccinations as they begin school later this year.
“It definitely does work out coincidentally very well because parents can get their children vaccinated over the summer. And certainly they can even get them at the same visit the other vaccines the child may be due for and their COVID vaccine, if they wanted,” she said.
Moderna’s vaccine for individuals aged six months to 17 years of age will administered as a primary series of two doses, one month apart. Individuals in that age group who are immunocompromised are eligible for a third primary dose a month after completing the two-dose series.
It’s a three dose primary series for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The initial two doses are administered three weeks apart. The third dose follows at least eight weeks after the second dose.
MacArthur and Traxler both urged parents with questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines to talk with their healthcare providers or pharmacists. They also recommend researching information on reputable websites such as www.cdc.gov, www.dph.georgia.gov or www.dhec.sc.gov.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
