Children as young as 6 months eligible for Covid shots in U.S., vaccinations to begin Tuesday

CNBC
Jun 19, 2022

Children as young as 6 months eligible for Covid shots in U.S., vaccinations to begin Tuesday


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday backed Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid-19 shots for children as young as 6 months, with vaccinations expected to begin in earnest after the holiday weekend.

The CDC’s committee of independent vaccine experts voted unanimously to recommend the shots for infants through preschoolers after two days of public meetings. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky accepted the committee’s recommendation and gave the final go-ahead on Saturday.

The White House has said vaccinations for children under age 5 would begin in earnest on Tuesday, after the Juneteenth federal holiday. Appointment availability might be limited initially but every parent who wants to get their child vaccinated should be able to do so in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Ashish Jha, who oversees the Biden administration’s Covid response.