A coronavirus vaccine could possibly be available to those younger than 12 by the end of the year, says the U.S. surgeon general.
“If everything were to go well, and everything were to fall into place, I think it’s possible that we could see a vaccine before the end of the calendar year for kids under 12,” Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday. “Make no mistake, the FDA will move quickly on this because they recognize what’s at stake. It’s the health of our children, and there’s really nothing more important than that.”
Currently, the three vaccines with emergency-use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration haven’t been approved for anyone younger than 12, though clinical trials for that age group are underway by the three vaccine makers — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
The surgeon general said the FDA prioritizes the evaluation of vaccines.
“My hope is that they will come to a conclusion soon, and that we will get that application from the companies to the FDA, because I will tell you that they will move fast to evaluate that,” Murthy told CNN.
