Federal regulators said they are working around the clock to support vaccine manufacturers as they seek approval for use in children between 5 and 11 years old.
In the Bay Area, Stanford Children's Hospital is participating in the clinical trials for the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr. Yvonne Maldonado said the research group she heads will soon be submitting their data to Pfizer.
“And then Pfizer will then organize it, analyze it and submit it to the FDA,” she said. “I understand from reading various sites that Pfizer thinks they can do that by October.”
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Maldonado said if the data is handed over to the FDA on that timeline, regulators could take a couple months to review it and potentially have word on shots for children between 5 and 11 by the end of the calendar year.
The amount of vaccine they should use in each shot for kids in this age range - is one of the most significant questions in this trial.
“It's different from the dose that was given to adults and to 12 to 15 year olds. So, it's a lower dose,” said Maldonado.
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Emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine in this age group could mean that virtually all school aged kids could be eligible for the shots.
The parents that NBC Bay Area’s Sergio Quintana talked to Friday said they have already got their shots themselves and added they are looking forward to approvals for their younger children.
“There's obviously some modicum of hesitation, but I’d say overall, we're pretty confident. My wife and I are already vaccinated,” said Jose Munne of San Jose.
Both of San Jose resident Shira Roman's daughters are too young to get the shots right now. They would be eligible if the FDA grants use for the Pfizer jabs in the next few months.
“If it happens, we will go for it because we're actually more concerned about long term effects of COVID,” she said.
