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Coronavirus Watch: Vaccines for kids 5-11 could become available this week

Ryan W. Miller   | Paste BN

While all eyes are on state and local elections Tuesday, a federal advisory committee is meeting to decide whether to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.

A CDC expert committee is set to decide if the benefits of vaccination outweigh risks for young children.

If the answer is yes, it goes to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to sign off. After that, vaccines could become available as soon as Wednesday at pharmacies and pediatricians’ offices. 

What to know:

  • Young children would be receiving one-third the dose given to adults and adolescents of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
  • They also would receive two shots at least three weeks apart.
  • In several small trials, Pfizer-BioNTech saw no serious side effects connected with the shots.
  • Typical side effects, which go away within a day or two, include headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, pain at the injection site and vomiting, nausea or diarrhea. 
  • Got more questions? Here's everything you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and children.

It's Tuesday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's what is happening:

  • 9 in 10 Americans identifying as an atheist report being at least been partially vaccinated against the virus, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. The number was higher than Catholics and Protestants.
  • The pace of new virus cases has risen 5.4% in the U.S. in the last week, a worrying uptick suggesting the delta variant-driven wave hasn't ended.
  • Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York firefighters faking sick and taking time off work in protest of the city's vaccine mandate for its employees will face "consequences."

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 46 million COVID-19 cases and 747,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 247.2 million cases and more than 5 million deaths. More than 192.5 million Americans – 58% of the population – are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Ryan Miller, breaking news reporter, @RyanW_Miller

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