• The announcement comes after the FDA recently approved the BioNTech and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is yet to recommend how the shot should be given.

The United States is reportedly planning to start distributing BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 shots this week for children between 5-11 years. However, the majority of the 15 million doses being supplied will not be available until next week, the White House claimed.

Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients at the White House stated that millions of doses particularly prepared for children will begin arriving at distribution sites in the coming days, with the federal government already buying enough supply for all eligible 28 million children.

The announcement comes after the FDA recently approved the BioNTech and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years, marking it as the first dose for young children in the U.S. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is yet to recommend how the shot should be given, which will be decided once a group of outside experts meet soon.

Parents will be able to visit vaccines.gov website after the CDC's decision and filter sites to access vaccine information for their children, Zients added.

Meanwhile, Moderna announced on Sunday that it will postpone filing an emergency use authorization (EUA) request for a half-strength 50-microgram dosage of the vaccine for children aged 6 to 11. Moderna's stock dropped 2.3%, or USD 8.04, to USD 337.17 on Monday trading, while Pfizer's stock dropped 10 cents to USD 43.64.

It is worth mentioning here that the seven-day average number of COVID-19 cases has reduced by 3% to approximately 69,000 daily cases at the end of last week. Meanwhile, the average rate of hospitalization fell 10% to around 5,100 cases, and the daily mortality average fell 10% to around 1,100, cited sources with relevant information.  

Source credits:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/3-white-house-says-15-212952937.html?guccounter=1