The U.S. is on schedule to start vaccinating children under age 12 against COVID-19 by early next year, Anthony Fauci, MD, said during a May 18 White House news briefing.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said several vaccine-makers are currently performing age and dose deescalation studies to assess the vaccine's risks and benefits for different age groups, ranging from 6 months to 12 years.
"It is likely and almost certain that by the time we get to the end of this calendar year and the first quarter of 2022, that we will have enough information regarding safety and immunogenicity to be able to vaccinate children of any age," Dr. Fauci said.
Less than a week after the CDC recommended Pfizer's vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, the U.S. had already vaccinated more than 600,000 kids in this age group, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during the same briefing.