For parents of school-aged children, the last two years have been an especially long slog. After COVID-19 locked down schools in early 2020, many students went from remote learning to a hybrid approach and, finally, back to in-person instruction, allowing moms and dads to breathe again.
Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent action authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in children 5 through 11 years of age and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is reminding eligible consumers that coverage is available without cost-sharing under Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and in the commercial market for this critical protection from the virus. As with all vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine was tested thoroughly in this age group prior to its authorization for emergency use.
Despite a vaccination rate well above the national average, the Navaho Nation and other tribes are experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 cases, report Alyssa Lukpat and Adeel Hassan at The New York Times. The Navajo Department of Health recently reported 80 new cases, but no recent deaths. The Indian Health Service has also noted more cases in the Billings and Great Plains areas.
Children ages 5 to 11 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 shot at their pediatrician's office, local pharmacy and potentially even their school, the White House said Wednesday as it detailed plans for the expected authorization of the Pfizer shot for elementary school youngsters in a matter of weeks.
More than a thousand people crowded the front steps of the California Capitol on Monday to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to require all children to get the coronavirus vaccine to attend public and private schools.