American Academy of Pediatrics Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Under 5

By: Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

“The American Academy of Pediatrics is encouraged that we may be one step closer to a COVID-19 vaccine being available for children under age 5, pending a rigorous review of Pfizer-BioNTech’s scientific data validating its safety and effectiveness by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We look forward to seeing the data.

“Pediatricians have seen firsthand the fear, stress and hardship that so many families of young children have endured as they await a vaccine. We urge a transparent and data-driven process to evaluate this vaccine for this age group and look forward to offering its protection to our youngest children.

“This month, we reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases among children since the pandemic’s onset. More than 3.5 million new cases in children were reported January 2022 alone, and more than 11.4 million children and teens have been infected by COVID-19 over the past two years.

“It is important that all children can benefit from the protection that the vaccine offers. I encourage parents to bring any questions they have about the vaccine to their child’s pediatrician. Pediatricians are eager to have these conversations.”

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.