The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized this Saturday Pfizer and Moderna anticovid vaccines for children between six months and five years, something that 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. Previously, only those over five years of age could be vaccinated.
“We know that millions of parents and caregivers are eager to vaccinate their young children, and with today’s decision, it is now possible,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
Once there was a green light from the FDA, the United States government began distributing millions of doses of the vaccine throughout the country.
Biden promised parents that vaccination appointments could start being scheduled as early as next week at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
