WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday inspired mother and father with kids aged six months and older to get them vaccinated towards Covid following final week’s approval of vaccines for kids under 5 years outdated.
“We’ve secured enough doses and we’re launching a comprehensive effort with state, local health departments, pediatricians, family doctors, pharmacies, rural health clinics, community health centers, and other trusted messengers and partners to get the word out to get help them to get shots in arms,” Biden mentioned on the White House.
The remarks got here after Biden and first girl Jill Biden visited a Covid vaccination clinic in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday afternoon to spotlight the latest approval of the shots for younger kids.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accredited the use of Covid vaccines for the nation’s youngest kids on Saturday following the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization, a 12 months and a half after adults started receiving the shots.
Parents can start scheduling appointments for the shots at kids’s hospitals, pediatricians’ places of work and pharmacies, Biden and White House officers mentioned.
Among mother and father with kids within the youngest age group, 18% mentioned they plan to get their youngster vaccinated “right away” as soon as the vaccine is cleared and 38% mentioned they plan to “wait and see,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey launched final month.
While younger kids are usually much less seemingly than adults to expertise essentially the most severe elements of the virus, there have been greater than 20,000 hospitalizations and greater than 200 deaths amongst kids between 6 months and 4 years outdated, in response to CDC data. Covid is the fifth most typical trigger of demise in kids youthful than 5.
Biden on Tuesday additionally admonished elected officers who aren’t helping within the effort to assist mother and father get their kids vaccinated. Gov. Ron DeSantis final week mentioned Florida would not be taking part within the distribution of the vaccine for the youngest kids and wasn’t recommending it.
“Let’s be clear, elected officials shouldn’t get in the way and make it more difficult for parents who want their children to be vaccinated and want to protect them and those around them,” Biden mentioned. “This is no time for politics. It’s about parents being able to do everything they can to keep their children safe.”
