The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday authorized the Pfizer and Moderna anti-covid vaccines for children aged between six months and five years, in what President Joe Biden called a “monumental step” in the fight against the virus.
The United States thus becomes the first country to approve the use of messenger RNA vaccines for children as young as six months of age.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already authorized its emergency use for this age group on Friday.
However, authorization from the CDC, the country’s main health agency, was also required. Before, only those over five years old could be vaccinated.
“We know that millions of parents and guardians are eager to vaccinate their young children, and with today’s decision, it’s now possible,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
After the FDA’s green light, the US government began distributing millions of doses of the vaccine across the country.
Biden promised parents that vaccination appointments could be scheduled as early as next week at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
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