A significant grocery chain that was a pioneer in the early dissemination of the COVID-19 vaccine would no longer give the shot to preschoolers.
Good. #COVIDHearings https://t.co/1WZxD7hJTk
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 22, 2022
For children aged 6 months to 5 years old, the Food and Drug Administration this week approved the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, a Publix spokeswoman stated to the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday that “at this time,” Publix pharmacies will not give the permitted COVID vaccine to children under the age of five.
A dispute has brewed between federal and state officials over giving the COVID vaccinations to children under 5. The representative claimed that Publix is not disclosing a justification for their choice and refuses to provide further details.
The state issue had no effect on Publix’s potential capacity to obtain immunization doses for children under the age of five because it received its vaccinations straight from a federal government program.
Florida’s largest private business, Publix, participated in the immunization program in early 2021, which significantly contributed to the state’s high proportion of retirees getting immunized.
It was supplying about a quarter of Florida’s immunizations at one point, according to the Times.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Florida’s State Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, have publicly expressed their opposition to providing the COVID vaccine to young, healthy children.
FL never “reversed course.” We recommended against COVID-19 vax for healthy children in March b/c there was no strong evidence of benefit. This remains the same for healthy kids <5. Providers have always been able to order vaccines. This never changed.
Nice try, @WhiteHouse.
— Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) June 17, 2022
Here’s what Desantis said:
“I would say we are affirmatively against the Covid vaccine for young kids. These are the people who have zero risk of getting anything.”
The Florida Department of Health issued guidelines in March that urged against administering the vaccine to healthy youngsters, going against the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The guidance states:
“Based on currently available data, healthy children aged 5 to 17 may not benefit from receiving the currently available COVID-19 vaccine. The Department recommends that children with underlying conditions are the best candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine, In general, healthy children with no significant underlying health conditions under 16 years old are at little to no risk of severe illness complications from COVID-19.”
No state policy change in Florida. The only thing that’s changed was the federal government (FDA) issued the EUA for the shots today.
Obviously, there must be FDA approval or an EUA for the system to process orders from healthcare providers.
Retract your lies.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) June 17, 2022
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