ANA Supports the Approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Booster for Children Ages 5-11

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Shannon McClendon, shannon.mcclendon@ana.org
Keziah Proctor, keziah.proctor@ana.org

SILVER SPRING, MD - The following statement is attributable to American Nurses Association (ANA) President Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN:

“ANA fully supports the decision of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to authorize the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for children ages 5-11, five months after they have received their second dose. We must continue to protect our most vulnerable, which includes millions of children who are still susceptible to getting the virus and being hospitalized with severe symptoms. If your children are eligible, we encourage you to schedule an appointment for them to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot as soon as possible.

While we are seeing some signs of a transition from pandemic to endemic, it’s still vitally important to get vaccinated and boosted. New variants will continue to emerge, and we can mitigate the impact on our health systems and nursing workforce through mass vaccination. This is especially important for children and families who live in states with low vaccination rates as cases of COVID-19 surge yet again.

ANA has come out in public support of both COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for children. Most recently, we joined the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other national health care association presidents in a national campaign to encourage parents to get their children 5+ vaccinated against COVID-19.

ANA still firmly endorses mass vaccination as both a significant public health victory and a scientifically proven strategy to prevent widespread cases of COVID-19. Trust the science and evidence that proves vaccines work. Keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy by getting vaccinated against COVID-19 right away.”