FULL INTERVIEW:
MILWAUKEE- Public Health Officials are on the brink of getting another tool in the fight against COVID-19.
The FDA today (Tuesday) afternoon, gave approval to Pfizer to administer its COVID-19 vaccine in kids age 5-11.
Medical College of Wisconsin President Dr. John Raymond tells WTMJ the decision is potentially a game changer in the fight against the virus.
“This is good news,” Dr. Raymond said, though a majority of parents still say they’re skeptical of the vaccine. “A recent Kizer Foundation poll shows parents are split, about a third of parents said they would get their child vaccinated right away, a third said they wanted to wait and see, while a third said ‘definitely not’.”
In an update this afternoon, Milwaukee County Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston said he thought shots for the new group would be made available by the end of next week, “depending on supply chain, depending on the DHS recommendations and depending on vaccinators.”
Overall, Weston said COVID-19 cases, and transmission rates, in Milwaukee County, are headed in the right direction.
“Our cases have been consistently trending downward as is our percent positive which is now at 6.4%,” Dr. Weston said.
Last week the CDC approved booster vaccinations for all 3 major vaccine suppliers, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.