Fauci says vaccines could be available to kids in early November

Anthony Fauci said Sunday that COVID-19 vaccines could be available for children in early November, providing a boost of optimism for some parents seeking to get their kids inoculated in time for the holidays.

“If all goes well, and we get the regulatory approval, and the recommendation from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], it’s entirely possible, if not very likely, that vaccines will be available for children from 5 to 11 within the first week or two of November,” Fauci told “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos on ABC.

Fauci, who serves as President Biden’s chief medical adviser, said he did not want to get ahead of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC, but said that “if you look at the data that’s been made public and announced by the company, the data looked good.”

On Friday, Pfizer released a study that indicated that its COVID-19 vaccine was almost 91 percent effective for children aged 5 to 11 years old. Children were reported to have similar levels of protection against the original COVID-19 strain and delta variant when they were given 10-microgram doses that were spaced three weeks apart, according to the company.

A review by the FDA later on Friday found that the benefits of the Pfizer vaccine outweighed the risks for children in most of the scenarios considered. The agency noted that in lower levels of COVID-19 transmission, there was the risk of more hospitalizations related to myocarditis stemming from the vaccine. 

But even in that instance, the agency said, “the overall benefits of the vaccine may still outweigh the risks under this lowest incidence scenario.” 

Fauci’s remarks come ahead of an important meeting slated for Tuesday when the topic of whether children should be recommended the Pfizer vaccine will be discussed by an FDA advisory panel.