NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Many parents are anxiously awaiting approval for a COVID-19 vaccination for children ages five through 11. An FDA meeting is tentatively set for Oct. 26 to examine data on the topic.
Doctors are seeing how some countries are choosing to give children just one dose of the vaccine. Yale Medicine‘s Dr. F. Perry Wilson says it’s too soon to know if that will be considered here.
“The downside there is that maybe you don’t provide as much protection, but the flip side of that coin is that maybe the side effects aren’t as severe. The FDA is going to be looking really closely at this data to see where that balance lies,” says Dr. Wilson.
People who got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines could soon get guidance on their vaccine booster shots. The FDA will examine data this Thursday and Friday. The CDC is meeting the following week so booster guidance could be soon.
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New research is revealing more about the extremely contagious delta variant. It is also more dangerous.
“Among unvaccinated people the outcomes including transfer to the intensive care unit and even death appear to be substantially higher than they were with prior variants so all the more reason to get vaccinated.”
And Dr. Wilson says if you’re eligible make getting vaccinated or a Pfizer booster a priority.
“They’re widely available and as the holidays are coming up and people are going to want to start gathering indoors with family it’s the perfect time to get vaccinated and get protected if you haven’t already.”