Children ages 5 to 11 can now get a Covid-19 vaccine in the US

By Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal and Melissa Mahtani, CNN

Updated 10:54 a.m. ET, November 9, 2021
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8:58 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

Covid-19 vaccine for younger children is a cause for parents to celebrate, CDC director says 

From CNN’s Naomi Thomas

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said “this is really just a time for parents to celebrate.” 

“We now have vaccine that’s eligible for 28 million children between the ages of 5 to 11,” Walensky told ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday. She said deliberations yesterday at the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices meeting showed the real efficacy and safety of the vaccines. 

“Importantly,” Walensky said, “we’ve taken the time to get this right, to do the science, to have a kids’ dosing schedule.” 

“Really, you know, it’s taken us almost a year compared to when we had vaccine for adults,” she said, noting they’ve “done the due diligence, reviewed the science, made sure we had the appropriate doses for our children. And really now, we have parents who can have the peace of mind that when they get their kids vaccinated, they will be protected.” 

Asked about parents who were still hesitant to get their child vaccinated and what she would say to them, Walensky said, “what I would say to them is, you know, these are new and you may have questions and we are here to answer your questions.”

“We are now beginning to roll out, to distribute the vaccine, to give parents the information that they need,” she said. “Go talk to your pediatrician, your trusted health care provider, your pharmacist and get the information that you need as we start scaling up vaccine across this country.” 

9:36 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

US will hit the ground running with vaccinations for kids, Fauci says 

From CNN’s Naomi Thomas

10-year-old Cate Zeigler-Amon hangs out of the car window as she waits to receive her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Viral Solutions in Decatur, Georgia, on Wednesday, November 3.
10-year-old Cate Zeigler-Amon hangs out of the car window as she waits to receive her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Viral Solutions in Decatur, Georgia, on Wednesday, November 3. (Ben Gray/AP)

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the US will hit the ground running on Covid-19 vaccinations for 5-to-11-year-olds. 

The vaccine for this age group will now be available in pharmacies, pediatricians offices, children’s hospitals and certain community locations, he said.

“That was what the preparedness was about,” Fauci said. “It’s a good thing. We’ll hit the ground running, and probably by the beginning of next week, we’ll be at full speed.” 

Parents who want to get their children vaccinated should consult with their pediatricians, family physicians and pharmacists, he said, so that they know exactly where to get the vaccine for their kids.

8:27 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

Fauci says he would "definitely" get his children vaccinated if they were ages 5-11

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it’s “understandable” for some parents to be hesitant about vaccinating their children, after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the green light for 28 million young children to get vaccinated against Covid-19. But if his kids were ages 5-11, Fauci said he “would definitely get them vaccinated.” 

“They’re not exempt from getting sick” from Covid-19, Fauci said, and persistent “long Covid” has been seen in children as well.  

“There have now been about 700 deaths in the younger age group. … Children are vulnerable. They can get infected, and they also can spread the infection once they get infected within the family unit. So there’s a lot of reasons to get the children vaccinated, and we’re very pleased that it’s has gone through the appropriate process of scrutinization,” he said in an interview on CNN. 

He also debunked a myth that vaccines affect fertility.

“There's no indication whatsoever, even any mechanistic feasibility that would affect fertility at all. In fact, in the millions and millions of doses and billions of doses that have been given worldwide of the vaccine, there’s no indication whatsoever that it has anything to do with fertility,” said Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden. 

Fauci added that “I’m not so sure we’re going to get soon to zero spread.” 

“I don't think we're going to get to eradication. We’ve only eradicated one viral disease, and that's smallpox. But you can get it down to a very low level, if you get enough people vaccinated,” he said.  

Watch:

8:14 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

94% of Americans are now eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine

From CNN's Virginia Langmaid

With Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine now available for children ages 5-11, more than 308 million Americans are currently eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the most recent US Census data.

At least 308,834,688 Americans are 5 years old or older – about 94% of the total population, according to 2019 US Census estimates.

 

9:31 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

5- to 11-year-olds can get a Covid-19 vaccine in the US now

From CNN's Maggie Fox

The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said Tuesday evening she was endorsing a recommendation for vaccinating children ages 5-11 against Covid-19, clearing the way for immediate vaccination of the youngest age group yet in the United States.

“CDC now expands vaccine recommendations to about 28 million children in the United States in this age group and allows providers to begin vaccinating them as soon as possible,” the agency said in a statement late Tuesday.

“Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19,” Walensky said.

“We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine. As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated." 

9:27 a.m. ET, November 3, 2021

This Connecticut hospital began vaccinating kids moments after CDC's OK

From CNN's Maggie Fox

Connecticut hospital vaccinated a handful of children Tuesday evening, just minutes after US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on advisers’ recommendation to vaccinate kids ages 5-11 against Covid-19.

Hartford HealthCare held a live vaccination event Tuesday evening, and officials there said they believed the children were the first in this age group to be vaccinated in the United States. Most vaccinations were not scheduled to begin before Wednesday.

“The vaccine has proven to be very safe,” Keith Grant, senior system director for infection prevention at Hartford HealthCare, said before a staffer vaccinated six boys and girls in front of cameras.