This past Tuesday, November 2, 2021, highly respected health officials at the CDC gave their compliance to move forward with the plan to begin vaccinating children from the age range of 5 to 11. On their first day of approval, the CDC distributed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to over 28 million people who acquired the eligible symptoms within this specific age category. AAP President Lee Savio Beers made a public statement in order to let the world in on the intent behind the new vaccine. “Pediatricians are eager to participate in the immunization process and talk with families about this vaccine. We want to ensure that access to this vaccine is equitable and that every child is able to benefit,” Beers stated.
This specific shot marks the first-ever COVID-19 treatment plan that has been handed out to children under the age of 12. Reports have it that various tests have been done to ensure the safety of the newly introduced vaccine, but only time will tell if this treatment is 100% safe or not. ACIP representative and professor at Drexel University College of Medicine Sarah S. Long recently made the following announcement: “I think the data supports that we have one more vaccine that saves the lives of children and that we should be very confident to employ it to the maximum to do what is meant to do without significant concerns of serious adverse events.” Professor Long is clearly referring to any unexpected side-effects that she claims will not take place, now or in the future.
In an attempt to ease the minds of many concerned parents out in the world, ACIP Chair Grace M. Lee also followed up with the public announcement: “I value preventing infection in children, and I think it can have a huge positive impact on their health, social and emotional well-being, educational outcomes and their long-term trajectory,” trying to get the majority of parents on board. She then added, “Vaccines are really the only consistent and reliable way that we can provide that protection other than cocooning them at home to minimize their risk, but then that is depriving them of many other important aspects of their childhood.” The CDC’s main goal, as of right now, is to ensure the safety of everyone who intakes a form of the COVID-19 treatment plan.