Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 18 backed COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 6 months of age.
The advisers unanimously voted to advise the CDC to recommend all children, save for those who have contraindications to the vaccines, from 6 months through 5 years of age get the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, both of which are built on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will now decide whether or not to accept the advice.
The advisory panel’s vote is the third step of a four-step process. Previously, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended the FDA grant emergency authorization to the two vaccines for toddlers and babies, and the FDA followed the recommendation.
The government plans to start vaccinating young children on June 20.