The former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration believes there will be a 'broad immunity' among younger children as they become vaccinated against COVID-19.
In an appearance on CBS's Face The Nation on Sunday, Dr Scott Gottlieb said now is the ideal time for kids to get the shot against the coronavirus in advance of the Thanksgiving holidays when many families will reunite with one another, particularly with elderly relatives.
'The uptake on a 5- to 11-year-old vaccine has been very brisk, and I suspect that uptake is going to be better than 12 to 17,' Gottlieb said.
'There were some estimates that uptake would be less than 12 to 17. I think it could be the opposite. Right now, CVS is scheduled to deliver more than 1 million vaccines to kids ages 5 to 11 today, so I think you're going to see broad immunity get put into the child population.'
Former FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb said there should be 'broad immunity' among young children as they become vaccinated against COVID-19
Samantha Murakami, 11, receive a child's dose of the Pfizer vaccination from LVN Jacqueline Valdez last week in Los Angeles
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that children between the ages of 5 and 11 receive the pediatric version of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
Gottlieb, who now serves on Pfizer's board of directors, said the rollout of the vaccine for kids by Biden administration had been 'outstanding.' Clinics and pediatricians' offices around the country have received shipments of the smaller dose vaccine and have begun to immunize youngsters.
'I do think a lot of parents are going to go out and vaccinate their children, and that's going to improve the situation of safety in schools,' Gottlieb added.
Despite most children not being fully vaccinated by the Thanksgiving holiday, Gottlieb noted that it would likely be safe for partially vaccinated children to be close to their grandparents during the holidays.
Gottlieb said there has been a 'brisk update' in children aged between 5-11 years-old
Gottlieb suggested the U.S. is close to the end of the 'pandemic phase' of COVID-19 and is entering a more 'endemic' phase.
'In another month to two months, I think we'll be on the back end of this, and prevalence will be very low, and you'll start to see local communities lift those restrictions,' Gottlieb said.
'Some are already lifting them. But I think the schools are probably going to be the last places that we lift some of those restrictions.'
Last week, Gottlieb said on CNBC he believes the COVID-19 pandemic could end by the beginning of next year.
'These mandates that are going to be put in place by January 4 really are coming on the tail end of this pandemic,' Gottlieb told host Joe Kernen.
Lisa Sughey Castro Roman, 6, screams as she receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Compton last week
Clinics and pediatricians' offices around the country have received shipments of the smaller dose vaccine and have begun to immunize youngsters (file photo)
'By January 4, this pandemic may well be over, at least as it relates to the United States after we get through this Delta wave of infection. And we'll be in a more endemic phase of this virus.
'I think the bottom line is the end of the end of the pandemic as it relates to the United States, is in sight right now given all the tools we have to combat this disease,' Gottlieb said.
He said that the U.S. 'still [has] to get through this Delta wave' with cases rising in some states as people head indoors for the cold winter months.
But he says that after the end of the wave, which should be in about two months, the virus should be an endemic disease - meaning always circulating in the population but at low rates.
'I think that this therapeutic and the other innovations that we've seen coming to market really mark the end of the pandemic for the United States,' Gottlieb explained.
'And we need to think how we put that victory sign on the side of the White House, and we declare victory over this pandemic, at least here in the United States.'
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