Governor Gavin Newsom pre-orders thousands of vaccines
Coronavirus vaccines could start going into the arms of children as young as six months old as soon as this week.
The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup announced on Sunday it completed its review of coronavirus vaccines being safe and effective for children as young as six months old.
This was for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine doses.
The workgroup gave its confirmation to the Governors of California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. It stated that it has thoroughly reviewed the safety and efficacy data for the vaccines. This data showed once a child completed either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series, that they had antibody levels similar to people between 16-25 years old who also had the vaccine.
The study also showed that reactions from children six months up to five years old were consistent with other vaccines that are routinely recommended for these age groups.
The official press release stated:
"The Workgroup concluded that the benefits of completing either vaccine series substantially outweigh any known or likely risks. Immunization can be expected to reduce the numbers of COVID-19-related serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in young children while facilitating their participation in normal educational, social and recreational activities."
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for the vaccines to be distributed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed behind the next day.
Related Story: Local parents react to CDC recommendation of COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5
Governor Gavin Newsom advocated for the new age group to get the vaccines. In a statement, he announced he pre-ordered nearly 400,000 doses to be administered at the more than 8,500 vaccine sites throughout the state.
This approval opens the door for nearly 20 million children to be able to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
