Pfizer vaccine: can 5-11 year olds get the vaccine and does the CDC recommend it?
The CDC is recommending you children to have the vaccine, although booster shots are not recommended at this stage.
From January 4, the CDC recommended that 5-11-year olds who were immunocompromised in some way should receive a second shot. It is recommended that the second dose be administered 28 days after the first.
"Following the FDA’s authorizations, today’s recommendations ensure people are able to get a boost of protection in the face of Omicron and increasing cases across the country, and ensure that the most vulnerable children can get an additional dose to optimize protection against covid-19," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine can be administered to 5-11-year olds. At least one jab is recommended, although very few young children have taken up the offer. As of March 2, 33.1 percent of the age group has had their first jab, compared to the national average of 76.5 percent.
What are covid-19 levels in the US like?
With recent new dominated by events in Ukraine, focus upon covid-19 has wandered. The number of new infections have been on a constant and steep decline since the end of January, with the latest data showing just 16,496 new cases. In comparison, the peak in January 2022 was seeing more than a million cases a day.
This trend is reflected in the number of deaths, though the drop off has not been quite as steep. The seven-day rolling average is 1,504 deaths, though March 5 saw the lowest levels of deaths since December, 307. This is likely due to delays in reporting due to the weekend.