The director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, announced on October 24 that the Covid-19 vaccination will begin soon for children aged 5 to 11. A possible scenario in France?
The United States is preparing to take the leap. In the coming weeks, from the beginning of November, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 will be available for children aged 5 to 11, or nearly 28 million young Americans. In any case, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases, live on ABC’s This Week. “If all goes well and we get regulatory approval and CDC recommendation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Editor’s note), it is quite possible, if not very likely, that vaccines will be available for children aged 5 to 11 during the first or two weeks of November “, said the expert.
The American health authorities, and more precisely the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are studying the request for authorization of two-dose vaccination on the youngest, filed by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The decision is expected to be released on October 26.
Is the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine effective in 5-11 year olds?
While nothing is officially certain at the moment, things are on track. Several weeks ago, the Pfizer group assured that its vaccine was over 90% “safe” and “well tolerated” for children aged 5 to 11. A result that seems to have convinced the White House, since last Wednesday, the US government announced that it was ready to vaccinate this age group of the population. “We will be ready to start injections within days of a final recommendation”, said the White House.
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COVID-19: children aged 5 to 11 soon to be vaccinated?
France ready to vaccinate 5-11 year olds?
For Anthony Fauci, vaccination among the youngest is essential to reduce the spread of the virus in the United States, which is still very active. In Europe, the question also arises. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has also launched a study on the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine on this subject. If the results also go in this direction, such a vaccine strategy could be considered in France. Even if its deployment would remain subject to the European calendar. As a reminder, last September, the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, had argued that the government would adapt “to the evolution of scientific knowledge”, as reported 20 minutes.
Still, in the United States, many parents are still hesitant. According to a recent Kaiser poll, “only a third of parents of children aged five to 11 say they will immunize their child, whileone in four say they won’t allow it under any circumstances“. The subject is therefore still as much debate.