Biden urges parents to get their kids vaccinated

May 14, 2021: -On Wednesday, President Joe Biden urged parents to get their children vaccinated before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the use of Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for adults ages 12 to 15.

On Wednesday, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued its recommendation, which was adopted 14-0 with one abstention. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky finally approval the endorsement later in the day. Biden said the endorsement was “one more giant step in our fight against the pandemic” during a press conference.

Around 17 million Americans are now eligible to get vaccinated, Biden said in the White House’s coronavirus response and vaccination campaign. “I encourage each of them and their parents to get their vaccination shots right away,” Biden added.

The two-dose vaccine was 100% effective in the clinical trial of 12- to 15-year-olds. The commonly reported side effects were pain at the injection site, joints and muscles, tiredness, headache, chills, and fever. Pfizer scientist Dr. John Perez told the CDC panel on Wednesday. Side effects usually resolved within one to two days, he added.

According to senior administration officials, the Biden administration works to make the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine available in places across the U.S., which at pediatricians’ offices and local pharmacies.

In partnership with states, the CDC has launched an effort to enroll more pediatricians and family practitioners as Covid vaccination providers in expanding access to doses in the future weeks, they said.

The CDC also plans to partner with community health centers to make vaccinations available for teens.

As of Tuesday, over 150 million Americans age 18 and older have received at least one dose, according to data compiled by the CDC. Roughly 115 million American adults are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 13% of adults say they definitely won’t get a vaccine, while 21% say they will get one only if required.