Children ages five to 11 will be mandated soon to show proof of COVID vaccine status before entering public spaces, such as restaurants, gyms, and large events like Warrior games in San Francisco, California.

Public officials said that children between that age range are now eligible to get the COVID vaccine shots. However, they added that the local mandate will likely not apply to them for another couple of months, according to a San Francisco Chronicle news report.

San Francisco has required everyone 12 and older to be vaccinated before they can be allowed inside public spaces in August.

The move made them the first major city in the U.S. to issue such an order.

City Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip said that the rule is expected to be extended to children aged five and 11. However, she noted that they will wait until everyone has enough time to be vaccinated as they want to ensure the children have the opportunity to get the vaccine. She said it would be no sooner than eight weeks after the vaccine is available for kids.

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, has given the approval for children ages five to 11 to receive shots.

Pediatricians' offices, pharmacies, and hospitals were also seen to start the distribution of the vaccines. Schools and clinics are also included in the distribution.

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Children Receiving COVID Vaccines

More than 28 million children will now be able to receive their vaccines after the go-signal from CDC, according to an NBC News report. The approval comes after the unanimous recommendation of CDC's advisory committee within hours of the vote.

Committee member Dr. Beth Bell said that it is a huge step forward for children and parents, adding that she endorses the recommendation.

Another committee member, Dr. Oliver Brooks, said that the data showed that the vaccine is safe. He is the chief medical officer at Watts Healthcare Corporation in Los Angeles.

Brooks noted that children are dying, adding that they can reduce hospitalizations, cases, and deaths with the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

There have been more than 1.9 million cases of COVID since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 8,300 hospitalizations and 94 deaths were reported among children ages five to 11 in the U.S.

CDC models project that allowing children to get the vaccine could help accelerate the decline in cases seen in the U.S.

However, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at Duke University said that some parents she has talked with about the vaccine are not sure how they feel about it. Dr. Ibukunoluwa Kalu said that parents are now weighing the decision to vaccinate or not their children, according to an NPR report.

Dr. David Kimberlin, an infectious disease pediatrician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said that everybody needs to protect themselves, including children, against what the virus is capable of doing.

CDC noted that as compared to White children, Black, Native American, and Hispanic children are three times more likely to be hospitalized.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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