White House Estimates Almost 1 Million Younger Children Got Vaccines So Far

Politics|The White House estimates astir a cardinal children ages 5 to 11 person gotten Covid vaccine shots truthful far.

• Nov. 10, 2021, 1:47 p.m. ET

The White House estimated connected Wednesday that astir a cardinal young children person gotten Covid-19 shots since the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was cleared for 5- to 11-year-olds past week — a fig that President Biden’s apical coronavirus adviser, Jeff Zients, described arsenic a “good start.”

Because of a lag successful reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which gathers vaccination data, the White House did its ain investigation by collecting accusation from pharmacies and authorities and section wellness officials, Mr. Zients said. He said officials “estimate conservatively” that 900,000 children person had their archetypal shot.

He said an further 700,000 pediatric vaccination appointments person been scheduled astatine pharmacies crossed the nation.

“Our extremity intelligibly is to vaccinate arsenic galore kids arsenic possible,” Mr. Zients said astatine a White House briefing connected the pandemic. “This is the precise opening of the program. The programme is conscionable getting up to afloat strength.”

The vaccine is present disposable to astir 28 cardinal children nationwide and truthful far, it has been hard to gauge genitor interest. In northwest Washington D.C., a comparatively affluent area, determination were agelong lines of parents and children waiting to beryllium vaccinated implicit the weekend.

An simple schoolhouse successful Virginia visited by Jill Biden, the archetypal lady, earlier this week quickly filled 260 vaccine appointments. The schoolhouse has 355 students.

And successful New York City connected Monday, officials were caught off-guard by the request astatine definite schools, which acold exceeded the involvement past outpouring astatine school-based vaccine clinics for teenagers.

But elsewhere successful the country, galore parents are wary. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, published past period earlier the F.D.A.’s authorization for younger children, recovered that 27 percent of parents said they would “definitely not” get their 5-to-11-year-olds vaccinated against the coronavirus. An further 33 percent said they would “wait and see” however the vaccine was moving earlier getting their children the shots.

The run to vaccinate young children does not lucifer the run to vaccinate adults. There are nary wide vaccination centers. The dose and the vials are smaller. The White House is recruiting pediatricians to get involved.

The run besides differs successful 1 different notable respect: The White House has not publically acceptable a extremity for however galore children it would similar to spot vaccinated and when.

Earlier this year, Mr. Biden acceptable a extremity of having 70 percent of each adults person at slightest 1 Covid-19 changeable by July 4. The White House did not conscionable that extremity by that date, and erstwhile Mr. Zients was asked connected Wednesday if the Biden medication had acceptable a extremity for children, helium ducked the question.

“I privation to stress again that we person plentifulness of proviso for each 28 cardinal kids ages 5 to 11,” Mr. Zients said successful reply to the question, adding, “We’re disconnected to a precise beardown start.”