WASHINGTON— Following last week’s FDA recommendation, today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) granted emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5-to-11-year-olds. The vaccine has already received emergency authorization in the United States for those aged 12 to 15 and full FDA approval for those 16 and older.
The following can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle.
“Today's approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-to-11 years old is yet another critical moment in our journey out of this COVID-19 pandemic. NEA welcomes what this means for our younger students, who look forward to more extracurricular and social activities and safer family gatherings now that so many more family and friends can be vaccinated. Safe and effective vaccines for our youngest students put us another step closer to making our schools the healthiest and safest places possible for our students and educators.
“NEA will continue to work to ensure the vaccine is readily available and accessible to all students – including our Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities that are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19.
“All students have the right to safe in-person instruction. A vaccine alone won’t solve the many challenges our nation’s public-school students and educators are confronting during this pandemic and beyond, but wide adoption will help increase a level of safety for in-person learning so we can provide an education where every student can thrive. NEA remains committed to working together to ensure our local schools are the safest places in the community for every student, educator, and family.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
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