Reports have emerged of parents misrepresenting their children’s ages to secure COVID-19 vaccinations for those who are not yet eligible. As it stands, there is currently no FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine for children under 12. With the return to school and a concerning rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations among minors, some parents are allegedly circumventing the rules, sneaking their children into vaccination clinics and falsifying their ages. In response to these reports, the FDA has firmly stated that lying to obtain vaccines for underage children is not advisable.
It’s challenging to ascertain how many under-12s are receiving COVID-19 vaccines “off label,” as many are concealing their actual ages. In one instance, a mother, who chose to remain anonymous, shared with Slate that she took her 11-year-old son to a vaccination site and observed another family doing the same for their 10-year-old daughter. In Ontario, Canada, the Pfizer vaccine is accessible to children born in 2009 or earlier, which includes 11-year-olds who will soon turn 12. This situation has led some American parents to question why they can’t similarly vaccinate their nearly 12-year-olds.
While the desire to vaccinate children close to their 12th birthdays is understandable, the FDA emphasizes that the dosage for younger children may differ from the adult doses currently available. On September 10, 2021, Janet Woodcock, the Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs at the FDA, along with Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, issued a statement urging parents to refrain from sneaking their 11-and-a-half-year-olds into vaccine clinics until an official vaccine for that age group is approved.
“Parents need to remember that the vaccine doses currently being studied for younger children are not necessarily the same as those authorized for individuals aged 12 and older,” Dr. Woodcock and Dr. Marks explained. The variation in dosage strength is a significant reason why clinical trials for children’s COVID-19 vaccines are still underway, as researchers work to determine the appropriate dosages.
So when can parents expect an approved vaccine for children under 12? Dr. Woodcock and Dr. Marks are asking for patience as vaccine manufacturers continue their work. “While we cannot provide a specific timeline for when this will be completed, we assure the public that we are working diligently to meet this crucial public health need and hope to have pediatric COVID-19 vaccines available in the coming months,” they stated. Meanwhile, former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Allen, who is now on Pfizer’s board, suggested that a vaccine for this age group could be ready by Halloween, although this is an ambitious goal.
The FDA acknowledges the challenges parents face during this time and understands the frustration, but their primary request is for patience.
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Summary:
Experts strongly advise against lying about a child’s age to secure a COVID-19 vaccine, emphasizing that dosages for younger children differ from adult doses. The FDA is working expeditiously to approve vaccines for under-12s, and parents are urged to be patient as they await further developments.