The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer-BioNtech's new COVID-19 vaccine on the 29th that it may be given to children aged 5-11.
The New York Times reported that the FDA approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use today for children of this age.
This decision follows the unanimous recommendation of Pfizer's vaccination by the Vaccines and Biologics Advisory Committee, an FDA advisory body.
As a result, approximately 28 million children in this age group, previously excluded from vaccination in the United States, are eligible for the vaccine.
These children receive two doses of the vaccine, one-third the adult dose, at 10 micrograms, three weeks apart.
The New York Times said it was "a move that millions of families have been looking forward to as they struggle to protect some of the Americans who remain unvaccinated."
However, in order for the actual vaccination to take place, there must be a vaccination recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC's advisory body, the Immunization Advisory Committee, will hold a meeting on the 2nd and 3rd of next month and make a decision through a vote.
The US media believes that the CDC recommends vaccination as long as there are no abnormalities and that vaccination will start as early as the 3rd.
The state governments responsible for vaccination started ordering the vaccine last week, and pharmacies, pediatricians and local health centers are already taking appointments for children in this age group.
In the United States, a vaccine for children, distributed ahead of the end of the year, when gatherings such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are frequent, will provide relief to families planning their first family gathering after the pandemic.
"It's a great psychological comfort to know that your child is protected and that he won't be seriously ill when he goes to school," said Dr. Larry Cory, director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
However, the vaccination rate is not expected to be high as there are many parents who have reservations about the vaccine for children because of concerns about the lack of long-term side effects.
According to a recent survey by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, only 27% of parents said they would get a vaccine for their child if approved.
About a third said they would see how the vaccine works on other children.
Pfizer vaccines were approved for teenagers aged 12 to 15 in May, but less than half of those age groups are vaccinated.
Even over the issue of compulsory vaccination by elementary schools, there are strong arguments for and against, and it is expected to cause another social conflict.