Of the 19.5 million children younger than 5 in the U.S., more than 267,000 have received their first COVID-19 shot, ABC News reported July 7.
Politicians and physicians told ABC they aren't surprised by the small percentage, which is about 1.5 percent, after a recent national poll found nearly 40 percent of parents wanting to "wait and see" — an approach that worries pediatricians ahead of the expected fall surge.
Children as young as 6 months old started getting vaccinated June 21 after federal health agencies authorized Moderna's and Pfizer's options, but the rollout has been bumpy as some grocery stores, such as Publix, refuse to carry the vaccine, and some pharmacies throw away usable doses because of state regulations.