The United State health authorities on Saturday cleared the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five and younger, in a move President Joe Biden greeted as a “monumental step” in the fight against the virus.
The US Food and Drug Administration had on Friday authorised their emergency use for young children, who previously had to be at least five to receive the vaccine. “We know millions of parents and caregivers are eager to get their young children vaccinated, and with today’s decision, they can,” the CDC Director, Rochelle Walensky, said in a statement Saturday.
Biden promised that parents could begin scheduling appointments as early as next week to have their young children vaccinated at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and doctor’s offices.