COVID-19: United States will start vaccinating 5-11 years from this week

The American health authorities gave their green light on Tuesday to launch this new vaccination campaign. 28 million young children are concerned.

Le Monde with AFP

The campaign will be able to start. The American health authorities put the last stamp Tuesday, November 2 on the CVIZER-BIONTECH VACCINE for 5 to 11 years. 28 million young children are now eligible.

A few days after being allowed by the US Medicines Agency (FDA), the vaccine has been recommended, Tuesday, by the prevention and disease control centers (CDC), ultimate step required to launch this new phase of the vaccination campaign expected by many parents. US President Joe Biden, greeted “a turn” in the fight against Cvid-19.

Last week, the US Medicines Agency (FDA) had authorized the vaccine for this age group, but it is distributed through utilities, CDCs are also required to recommend it.

The Government has largely anticipated the decision, giving enough doses, and starting to send throughout the country. Since the authorization of the FDA, “there has not been a time when the teams have not recovered, packaged, and sent vaccines,” said Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the fight against the pandemic to the White House. “We anticipate vaccinations by the end of the week, but the campaign (…) will reach its full capacity the week of November 8,” he said.

A hundred children’s dead kids. 19 in the United States

On Tuesday, the CDCs had summoned an independent scientists to review, during a day of live broadcast discussions, the available data on the status of the epidemic for children, the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine , and its possible side effects.

The main concern concerned the risk of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, detected in adolescents and young adults (especially male) after vaccination with Pfizer or Moderna.

The health authorities have confirmed nearly 880 cases among children under 30 (more than 600 remain to be evaluated), of which approximately 830 required hospitalization. Nine deaths were suspected of being linked to myocarditis after the vaccine. But out of six cases for the moment examined, a vaccine-related myocarditis was not finally identified “as the cause of death,” said Dr. Matthew Oster, Pediatric Cardiologist. “The risk of having a heart problem is much higher if you catch the COVID if you take this vaccine,” he added.

In the 5 to 11 years old, more than 1.9 million cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the United States, having caused more than 8,300 hospitalizations, more than 2,300 cases of MIS (inflammatory syndrome Pediatric multisystem), and a hundred deaths.

The expected benefits of child immunization also include fewer classes, and a possible reduction in the transmission of the epidemic in the general population. “If I had a grandson, I would certainly vaccinate, said Beth Bell, a specialist in infectious diseases and a member of the committee. We have excellent evidence of efficiency and safety. We have a profit-risk analysis. favorable. “

/Media reports.