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FDA recommends COVID-19 vaccines for young kids

Vaccines for kids under 5 could be ready as early as next week once given final approval.

HARTFORD, Conn. — Infants and toddlers could soon be able to get COVID-19 vaccines.

An FDA advisory committee unanimously voted to recommend authorizing both Moderna and Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 years old on Wednesday.

Moderna’s vaccine would be a two-shot series for children 6 months to 5 years old, while Pfizer’s three-dose series is for kids ages 6 months to 4 years.

We asked Connecticut parents if they would get their infant or toddler vaccinated.

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“Absolutely, my husband and I are supportive of it. He is a mechanical engineer. We believe in the science,” said Sarah Ober from Avon whose daughter, Erica, is 8 months old. “She will be in daycare rather soon so we just want to equip her with as much armor as we can.”

But not all parents are on board.

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“Me personally, I wouldn’t get the vaccine for my child because as an infant, a lot of things can happen, especially babies. Their bodies aren’t even immune to anything just quite yet,” said Saraya Torres from Manchester. “You know, as a parent, you want to protect your kid at all costs.”

Some parents we spoke with wonder if the vaccine is safe for such little bodies.

We brought those concerns to Dr. Juan Salazar, Physician in Chief at Connecticut Children’s.

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“I’m fully supportive of vaccinating the kids,” Dr. Salazar said. ”These vaccines have taken longer to be put on the FDA panel and the recommendations just to make sure, to absolutely make sure, that they are safe in this population. “

Both Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are administered at a lower dosage than the adult shots. 

Pediatric vaccines are also available for children 5 and up. So far, about 48% of Connecticut children ages 5-9 and about 72% of kids ages 10-14 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Forty-two percent of Connecticut children ages 5-9 are fully vaccinated and about 65% of children ages 10-14.

There are still a few more steps to go in the process before vaccines can be administered to children under 5. The vaccines will need final approval from the FDA and CDC but are expected to be ready as early as next week.

Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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