June 21 is expected start date of COVID vaccination for kids under 5

The White House said in a press briefing that the vaccine will be available for children ages 6 months to under five years on June 21.

The data from Moderna and Pfizer- BioNTech is being reviewed by the FDA. The vaccine data will be reviewed by a panel of experts on June 15 and a vote will be taken on whether to grant emergency use authorization.

The FDA will likely give authorization quickly if the panel votes in favor of it. Federal supplies of vaccines will be sent to states for distribution once that occurs. Before they can vote on a recommendation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to have its own advisory committee meeting. The recommendation needs to be endorsed by the CDC Director.

The federal government has plenty of supply of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under 5 years old. The first 10 million doses can be ordered starting Friday. The Biden administration is working with state and local health departments, as well as other health care providers, to prepare for the vaccine roll out.

The majority of these kids will get their vaccinations from their doctors. The administration wants states to prioritize distribution to sites that can serve the highest risk children in hard to reach areas and sites that can handle large volumes of children. In order to make it easier for parents to get their children immunized, officials are encouraging states to have vaccination sites open during the day.

Rollout and questions

The administration isn't trying to judge the outcome of the process, but it is preparing for all scenarios. The FDA is expected to make a decision after the meeting on June 15. Juneteenth is a federal holiday so the following weekend is three days. Some of the shipments are expected to arrive at their destination over the long weekend.

He said that vaccinations will start as early as Tuesday, June 21 because many doctors' offices will be closed for the holiday. He warned that it would take some time to ramp up the program and make vaccines more widely available.

The long wait for vaccines for the youngest children during the two-and-a-half-year Pandemic has been difficult for many parents as cases are again on the rise and many areas have pulled back health precautions. The FDA has come under fire from parents and lawmakers for its slow-walking of Moderna's vaccine. Moderna's review may be delayed due to data from Pfizer and BioNTech. The FDA denied any delays.

Moderna submitted its vaccine data to the FDA on May 9. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was fully submitted on June 1st, will be reviewed by FDA advisers.

There was a question about the apparent delay of Moderna's review. The FDA makes its timelines based on how quickly it can review all the data, according to him. "At the end of the day, we all want to move quickly, but we want to make sure we get it right," he said, "and that's what the FDA has been focused on."