CDC Recommends COVID -19 Shots For Children Under 5 –

New York (AP) – The United States announced vaccines for COVID -19 for infants, children and preschoolers on Saturday.

The footage will be available next week, which will expand the nation’s vaccination campaign for babies as young as 6 months.

Consultants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended vaccines for the younger, and the final signal came a few hours later from Drs. Rochelle Valensky, the director of the agency.

“We know that millions of parents and health care workers want their young children vaccinated and, with today’s decision, they can,” Valensky said in a statement.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves vaccines, the CDC decides who should receive them.

The footage offers protection to children from hospitalization, death and possible long-term complications that are not yet understood, the CDC advisory board said.

The government is already preparing for the expansion of the vaccine that has ordered millions of doses for doctors, hospitals and public health clinics across the country.

It is estimated that about 18 million children will be eligible, but it remains to be seen how many will eventually receive the vaccine. Less than a third of children between the ages of 5 and 11 have done so since vaccines opened in November last year.

Here are some things to know:

The Pfizer vaccine is intended for children aged 6 months to 4 years. The dose is one-tenth of the adult dose and requires three injections. The first two are given at three -week intervals, and the latter at least two months later.

Moderna’s consists of two vaccines, each a quarter of its adult dose, for children aged 6 months to 5 years at approximately four weeks apart. The FDA also approved a third dose, at least a month after the second injection, for children with immune conditions that make them more susceptible to serious illness.

In these studies, vaccinated adolescents developed levels of antibodies that were resistant to the virus as adolescents, suggesting that child-sized doses protect against corovirus infections.

However, it is difficult to determine how good they are, especially when it comes to the Pfizer vaccine.

It appears that only 40% of the two doses of Moderna were effective in preventing more mild infections during the period when the omcron variant was the cause of most COVID-19 diseases. Pfizer released research data showing the company saw 80% of its three hits. But Pfizer’s data is so limited – and based on a very small number of cases – that experts and federal officials say they still don’t believe there is a reliable estimate.

Should I vaccinate my little one?

Yes, according to CDC advisers. Although COVID-19 is the most dangerous for adults, even adolescents, including children, can become seriously ill.

The hospital rose during the omicron wave. According to federal data, approximately 480 children under the age of 5 are estimated to be among more than 1 million deaths in the country from COVID-19.

“Vaccination is worth it, even if the number of deaths is relatively low because it can be prevented with vaccination,” Drs. Matthew Daley, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente Colorado who serves on the CDC’s advisory committee.

Which vaccine should my child get?

Or one, says Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s head of vaccines.

“Whatever vaccine your doctor, pediatrician has, that’s exactly what I’m going to give my child,” Marx said Friday.

The doses are not tested against each other, so experts say there is no way to determine if one is better.

One thought: It takes about three months to complete Pfizer’s three-frame series, but Moderna only takes two months to complete the two frames. So families who want to protect their children may want Moderna quickly.

Pediatricians, other primary care physicians, and children’s hospitals plan to provide vaccines. Limited pharmacies will offer them at least a 5 year old group.

U.S. officials suggest most of the shootings will take place in pediatricians ’offices. Many parents may be more comfortable having their children vaccinated with their regular doctor, Drs. Ashish Jham, White House coordinator for COVID-19. He predicted that vaccination rates would be slower than in the elderly population.

“We will increase vaccinations in weeks and potentially even months,” Jham said.

Can children get other vaccines at the same time?

It is common for young children to receive more than one vaccine when visiting a doctor.

The other vaccinations in the Moderna and Pfizer injection studies in newborns and infants were not performed simultaneously, so there are no data on potential side effects when they occur.

But no problems were found in older children or adults when COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines were given together, and the CDC recommends that it be safe for even young children.

What if my child only had COVID-19?

Approximately three-quarters of children of all ages suggest that it was infected at some point. For adults, the CDC still recommends vaccination to reduce the chances of re -infection.

Experts have noticed re -infections in people who have been previously infected and say the highest level of protection occurs in those who have been vaccinated and those who have been previously infected.

The CDC said people might consider waiting about three months after being vaccinated against the infection.

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report in Washington.

The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.