Awaiting FDA Approval for COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Children: St. Jude Children's Hospital Says Get Kids Vaccinated As Soon As Possible by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

As America’s children 5 and younger await Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, a leading pediatric infectious disease physician with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital strongly encourages parents to get eligible children vaccinated as soon as possible, and 12- to 15 year-olds five months past their second dose to receive a booster shot immediately.

“Parents should immediately get all eligible children vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as the appropriate recommendation for their age group receives governmental approval. We are seeing a significant increase in hospitalizations in children, especially those who are either too young to get vaccinated, or are eligible but have not received the vaccine,” said Dr. Diego R. Hijano, a top infectious disease specialist at the nation’s premier pediatric cancer institution, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “In the cases we are seeing in individuals who are fully vaccinated, they remain protected overall against hospitalization.”

While data out of South Africa, United Kingdom and other early Omicron hotspots may show the variant causes more mild disease, it is still responsible for the massive surge in new COVID-19 infections throughout the U.S. and the world. In fact, it has been responsible for the record-breaking child hospitalizations in the U.S. according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Vaccination matters in terms of hospitalization and outcomes,” continued Dr. Hijano. “As a country and society, we shouldn’t allow even one death that could be prevented.”

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