Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that he supports COVID-19 vaccine mandates for children going to school.
Fauci said that mandates regarding vaccines for students aren’t new to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Only those over 12 years old are currently eligible for vaccination.
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Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci said that he believes it is a good idea to require COVID-19 vaccinations for children attending school.
Fauci stated that "this is not something new" to CNN's Jake Tapper during "State of the Union".
"We have mandates in many schools, especially public schools that require vaccinations for polio, measles and rubella. This has been done for decades and decades. Fauci stated that this is not a new requirement for vaccinations to allow children to attend school.
As the more transmissible Delta variant spreads, COVID-19 infections and cases have been on the rise, even among children.
The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any COVID-19 vaccine to be used in children under 12. Pfizer's vaccine was approved by the FDA for use in older persons.
NPR's Dr. Francis Collins, director of National Institutes of Health, said that Pfizer will present its clinical trial results for children aged 5-11 years to the FDA next month. He warns that it may take several months to approve the emergency use of vaccine for children.
Collins stated, "I have to be honest, I don’t see the approval of kids 5-11 coming before the end 2021."
Parents are so worried about the spread Delta that they have asked pediatricians to administer vaccines to their children under 12 years of age before FDA approval.
Insider was previously informed by a Los Angeles pediatrician that they will not be vaccinating children under 12 years old until FDA approval is granted.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that all people over 12 years old get vaccinated.
