WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — 28 million children age 5 to 11 are starting to roll up their sleeves for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
U.S. health officials gave the green light Tuesday for the shot, and about one-third of parents say they want to vaccinate their 5-to-11-year-old children “right away,” according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“I want the vaccine because I get to go to school. I want to be with classmates and friends,” said 11-year-old Zuleyka Ledesma.
President Joe Biden has said the full rollout of the vaccine will begin Monday, Nov. 8. The FDA says the vaccine is 90% effective in kids aged 5 to 11. The virus has become the eighth largest killer of young children over the past year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has encouraged parents to seek pediatrician guidance before their children receive the shot.
Shots for younger children are about a third of the dose adults get. Children’s vaccines are given in two doses, three weeks apart.
The new authorization now raises questions about mask-wearing in schools. Experts say that mitigation efforts like wearing masks can last despite increased inoculation rates.