White House: 1st shots for kids under 5 possible by June 21

Susan Walsh/AP

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, left, calls on a reporter during the daily briefing with White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, right, at the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

By: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group as expected.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the administration’s planning Thursday for the last remaining ineligible age group to get shots.

He says the Food and Drug Administration’s outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger kids.

Shipments to doctors’ offices and pediatric care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, with the first shots possible the following week.