Anthony Fauci, a leading U.S. immunologist, wants to vaccinate children of all ages against coronavirus by early next year at the latest. "I think by the first quarter of 2022 we will be able to vaccinate children of almost all ages," said U.S. President Joe Biden, who serves as CNN's corona adviser. "Hopefully, before then, but I think that's the closest we'll get."
For children and adolescents 12 and older, he believes vaccinations are available at the start of the upcoming school year. Currently, adolescents in the U.S. over the age of 16 cannot be vaccinated.
Biontech and Pfizer announced a few days ago that they hope to use the corona vaccine in the U.S. in the future for adolescents under the age of twelve. An application for emergency approval to expand the existing vaccine has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A similar application will be submitted to other regulatory agencies worldwide in the near future. To date, the vaccine has been approved for use from age 16 only.
According to results published in late March, a clinical study in the 12- to 15-year-old age group showed 100 percent effectiveness. The vaccine was well tolerated. The companies said the side effects would correspond to people between the ages of 16 and 25.
For safety reasons, the health of nearly 2,300 participants in the United States will be monitored for up to two years after receiving the first dose of the vaccine. As part of the study, 18 coronary conditions were identified in adolescents who received the placebo vaccination, but none were identified in the 1,131 individuals who received the Biontech / Pfizer formulation.
The manufacturer has also begun clinical studies in infants as young as six months old and in older children. However, U.S. experts do not expect to approve the vaccine for that age group until early next year.
For the suspension corona vaccine with the active ingredient from Johnson & Johnson USA, the immunologist said he does not want to expect a decision from the CDC and FDA. However, he believes the active ingredient will be used again - possibly with certain warnings and restrictions. He hopes a decision will be made this Friday and that there will be no further delay in making a decision.
On Friday, the CDC advisory committee wants to discuss how to proceed. No decision is expected to be made on the continuation, lifting or partial lifting of the vaccination ban for Johnson & Johnson's active ingredient in the United States until the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes a recommendation.
The CDC and FDA recommended suspending vaccinations with the active ingredient last Tuesday after six cases of cerebral vein thrombosis were documented in the United States. Subsequently, the U.S. pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson delayed the market launch of its vaccine in Europe and temporarily suspended all ongoing studies of vaccines containing the active ingredient.
To date, more than 7.2 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the U.S. The vaccine was approved in the U.S. in late February and requires only one dose. The vast majority of the vaccinations were administered with active ingredients from the U.S. companies Moderna and Pfizer and their German partner Biontech, and these preparations are still in use. As of Sunday, more than 205 million vaccinations had been administered in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.