Jenny Kane / AP
A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed on a counter at a pharmacy in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 27, 2021.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 | 1:04 p.m.
Nearly a month after the COVID-19 vaccine was approved for the youngest children, 1,212 doses have been administered in Clark County to those between 6 months and 5 years old, according to state health officials.
That is less than 1% of the 200,000 children in that age group.
The Food and Drug Administration on June 17 approved both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children as young as 6 months old.
“Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said in a statement after the approval.
“As we have seen with older age groups, we expect that the vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization and death,” Califf said.
Low vaccination rates were expected among the youngest age group, based on national polling conducted earlier this year.
Only 1 in 5 parents of children under age 5 were “eager to get their child vaccinated right away,” whereas nearly 40% wanted to wait and see how the vaccine worked, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey conducted in April.
Almost 30% said they would “definitely not” get their children vaccinated.
Nationwide, about 30% of children ages 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated, while the figure is only about 3% in Nevada, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID-19 vaccines are available for children 6 months to five years old on a walk-in basis at Southern Nevada Health District clinics, according to the organization’s website.
