"COVID-19 vaccines remain the single-most important tool that we have to protect people against COVID-19 and its most serious outcomes. Next week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will consider whether to authorize and recommend the first COVID-19 vaccines for kids under the age of 5," the statement said.
If the FDA and CDC greenlight at least one of the vaccines, "it would be a historic milestone in the nation’s fight against the virus—and would mean nearly every American is eligible for the protection that vaccination provides", it added.
"Today, the Biden Administration is announcing an operational plan that will ensure that vaccines—if authorised by FDA and recommended by CDC—are readily available for our youngest kids and that we continue the critical work of ensuring that all families know the benefits of getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19", the White House said.
The US has so far approved the Pfizer/BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna coronavirus vaccines.