The White House on Wednesday announced that they have enough Covid-19 vaccine to support 28 million children across the US as the rollout for those ages 5-11 nears.
Some parents and grandparents are rejoicing as the authorization of the first Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, which is currently under consideration by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appears imminent.
"For us it means the extra layer of protection for her and from what we’ve discovered it also gives the extra layer of protection for grandma as well," said Heather Willians from Wallingford.
"It’s going to keep them safer you know some people think all the kids can get over it but there can be long-term effects of the disease that doesn’t show up until they're older," Cindy Colella of Southington said.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
According to the state Department of Public Health, 39,000 doses will be ordered by the end of the week with 150,000 expected to be received in total and spread out over 1,100 providers across the state.
"And we expect that the Pfizer pediatric dose that is a different dose from the adult dose will be approved for folks who are kids who are between 5 and 11 years old. And then we would probably have, you know, we'd probably have those doses available a few days afterwards," Dr. Ohm M. Deshpande of Yale New Haven Health explained.
Local
For those who are still up in the air of whether or not their child should get the vaccine, health officials have this recommendation
"I would definitely advise people to meet with their pediatrician everything is a conversation about the pros and cons and risk and benefits," Dr. Eric Arlia, senior director of pharmacy for Hartford HealthCare, said.
The start of a vaccination program for kids ages 5-11 will depend on the independent FDA and CDC process and timeline. Those meetings will begin next week.
