Topline
Less than three weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended children ages 5 to 11 get vaccinated against Covid-19, about 10% of American children in the age group have received their first dose of the authorized Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the White House said in a Wednesday press conference.
Younger children are beginning to get vaccinated against Covid-19. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via … [+]
Key Facts
Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Wednesday that an estimated 2.6 million of Americans ages 5 to 11 are now partially vaccinated, 1.7 million of whom received their first shot last week.
Zients also said that the U.S. will clear the 80% partial vaccination level for individuals ages 12 and older Wednesday, as more Americans face increasingly prevalent vaccine mandates.
Contra
Many parents have expressed hesitancy to vaccinate children in this age range: a Gallup poll conducted last month found that 55% of parents of children under age 12 planned for their kids to get vaccinated. A similar Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in October found the most common concerns for parents are the possibilities of long-term effects of the vaccine, side effects from the shots and future fertility problems stemming from the vaccine (of which there is no evidence).
Big Number
36%. That’s the percentage of kids ages 12 to 13 that received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the first two months they were eligible, according to the CDC, showing that rollout for younger children may lag behind the White House’s hopes.
Further Reading
Faced with losing their jobs, even the most hesitant are getting vaccinated (NPR)
