HOUSTON — Starting Tuesday infants and toddlers will be able to get COVID-19 vaccines.
The CDC and FDA signed off on the approval last week. Parents will decide whether to give their kids the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine. Experts at Texas Children’s Hospital said they’ve been working on clinical trials for the vaccines for young children for more than a year.
"COVID vaccines have been highly successful in pediatric vaccine trials," said Dr. James Versalovic, the chief pathologist at Texas Children's Hospital.
The Pfizer vaccine will cover children ages 6 months through 4 years old. And kids will get three doses, the first two shots spaced three weeks apart, and the third shot is given at least eight weeks later.
The Moderna vaccine will cover children from 6 months through 5 years old. The Moderna vaccine is authorized as two doses spaced four weeks apart.
"These lower doses have been highly effective at enabling children and developing antibody responses well-documented children and immune responses excellent to the vaccine," Versalovic said.
Doctors said COVID is one of the top 10 causes of death in children in the United States. According to the CDC, 440 kids under the age of 4 have died from COVID since January 2020.
Because of that, doctors said many parents -- especially those with children with other pre-existing conditions -- have been anxiously awaiting this.
"This is very welcomed news for those who kept their kids locked away for the duration of the pandemic. It's time to get out get the vaccine and live your normal life," said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, with UT Health and Houston Memorial Hermann.
Experts urge parents to call their pediatrician's office to schedule an appointment and ask the questions they need to get their kids vaccinated.