White House officials say orders have been coming in for COVID-19 vaccine doses for small children. Federal authorization of shots for U.S. kids under 5 is possible next week. The government last week began allowing pharmacies and states to place orders, with 5 million doses initially available. So far, about 1.45 million of the 2.5 million available doses of Pfizer have been ordered. About 850,000 of available Moderna shots have been ordered. Young children are the last group of Americans who have not been recommended to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Up to about 20 million U.S. children under 5 would become eligible for vaccination if the government authorizes one or both shots.
Pfizer has asked FDA to authorize three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 month to 4 years. Each dose is one-tenth of the amount adults receive.
The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the use of vaccines, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues recommendations to doctors and the public about using them.