Just 18 Percent of Americans Willing to Vaccinate Kids Under 5

Just 18% of Americans say they are willing to vaccinate children under 5 immediately, according to a new poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

No COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for younger kids, though they could be authorized as early as June, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s latest meeting schedule.

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey also found that:

• A larger share of Americans (38%) say they plan to wait to see how the vaccine is working for others, while about 4 in 10 parents of children under 5 are more reluctant to get their child vaccinated.
•  27% said they will “definitely not” get their child vaccinated, and 11% said they will only do so if required.
• 56% of parents of children under 5 say they don’t have enough information about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
• Among parents of children ages 5 to 11, about 39% say their child has gotten vaccinated while a large share say they will either only get their child vaccinated if they are required for school (12%) or say their child will definitely not get the COVID-19 vaccine (32%).
• Most parents of children ages 12 to 17 say their kids have been vaccinated (56%, fairly steady since January); about 31% say they will “definitely not” get the kids vaccinated; 4% say they will only do so if required.

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said Friday the agency was reserving dates in June for its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) to meet to discuss updates to vaccine makers Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech’s emergency use authorizations that would include making younger ages eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

“As we continue to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are a number of anticipated submissions and scientific questions that will benefit from discussion with our advisory committee members,” said Marks.

“We are providing a tentative schedule for discussion of these submissions, as these meetings will cover a number of topics that are of great interest to the general public,” Marks said. “The agency is committed to a thorough and transparent process that considers the input of our independent advisors and provides insight into our review of the COVID-19 vaccines. We intend to move quickly with any authorizations that are appropriate once our work is completed.”

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