Utah may see first doses of COVID-19 vaccine for infants, toddlers as soon as Feb. 21

Claudia Ceron, a Salt Lake County Well being Division neighborhood well being employee and vaccinator, high-fives kindergartner Eddie Purcell after he obtained a COVID-19 vaccination at Hillsdale Elementary Faculty in West Valley Metropolis on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information

Kids as younger as 6 months previous may very well be getting vaccinated towards COVID-19 earlier than the top of February.

The primary cargo of 23,000 Pfizer vaccine doses which were scaled down for kids 6 months to 4 years previous may arrive in Utah as quickly as Feb. 21, the Utah Division of Well being’s immunization director, Wealthy Lakin mentioned Wednesday.

There’a already plans to rapidly distribute these doses to native well being departments, medical doctors and pharmacies all through the state, though the fast-tracked course of for federal approval doesn’t get underway till the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee meets Feb. 15.

“We all know that we’ve received extra children on this state so the extra we get vaccinated, the much less it spreads amongst households and in colleges and and many others.,” Lakin mentioned. Utah has the very best proportion of kids underneath 5, with 7.7% of residents in that age group in comparison with about 6% nationwide, in line with the Kaiser Household Basis.

A current survey by the nonprofit basis discovered simply 31% of oldsters nationwide with youngsters underneath 5 intend to get them vaccinated straight away as soon as the pictures develop into out there, whereas 26% positively wouldn't vaccinate their younger youngsters, 12% would accomplish that provided that required, and the remaining, 29%, need to wait and see.

Requested concerning the outcomes throughout a White Home briefing Wednesday, President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, mentioned People “have to be assured that any choice that the FDA makes, as is traditionally at all times the case with them, will actually be based mostly on the scientific information of each security and efficacy.”

White Home COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients mentioned the administration will probably be prepared as soon as the FDA after which the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention choose suggestions for the one age group not but eligible for the vaccine

“We’re launching a brand new program specifically for youths underneath 5. The planning course of is nicely underway. CDC is working with states to assist them put together. We’ve secured sufficient vaccine provide for all children on this age group — all 18 million. We've got sufficient needles, syringes and kits,” Zients mentioned.

He mentioned the federal authorities “can begin packing and transport the vaccine as soon as FDA makes its choice. So, we will probably be ready for these mother and father which might be wanting to get their children vaccinated.”

However Zients acknowledged different mother and father aren’t satisfied.

“We’ve discovered via our efforts throughout the final 12 months that the very best messengers are native messengers — area people teams and leaders, medical doctors, and different well being practitioners,” he mentioned, in order that they’ll have the supplies and coaching “they want to have the ability to reply the questions that oldsters have about getting their children vaccinated.”

Lakin mentioned he’s not anticipating huge numbers of vaccinations within the new age group, no less than not at first.

When COVID-19 vaccinations have been first supplied final spring to teenagers, he mentioned 1 / 4 had gotten pictures inside six weeks in Utah and now, greater than 58% are absolutely vaccinated, that means it’s been two weeks or extra since their closing preliminary dose. About 10% have additionally gotten a booster shot, now out there to anybody 12 and older.

However amongst Utah youngsters ages 5-11, solely about 25% are absolutely vaccinated though the pictures have been permitted for them final fall. Lakin mentioned vaccination charges for infants and toddlers within the state are more likely to “simply be a stepping-stone down” from that.

Not solely is the newest COVID-19 surge in instances, pushed by the extremely transmissible however largely milder omicron variant of the virus seen as subsiding in Utah and across the nation, there's additionally confusion about what number of doses of the vaccine younger youngsters will want.

Pfizer introduced in December a 3rd dose of vaccine was being examined as a part of the continued scientific trials after a two-dose regime failed to supply a robust sufficient immune response. However as an alternative of ready a number of months for the examine on a 3rd dose to be accomplished, federal regulators are reviewing the preliminary outcomes.

“I feel the possibilities are very excessive for FDA to approve it,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla informed CNBC Tuesday, including that he believes the federal company “will probably be happy with the information” from scientific trials of the vaccine on youngsters, anticipated to be made public Friday.

Lakin mentioned questions surrounding a 3rd dose may very well be a difficulty for some mother and father.

“It’s tough to message — you give a two-dose sequence however the efficacy might not be very robust they usually’re information to see how a 3rd dose could be beneficial later,” he mentioned, particularly since two doses have been seen initially as “tremendous efficient” with different age teams.

“I simply suppose it will likely be complicated,” Lakin mentioned.