The temptation to jump the line is often fueled by news that many Americans are not choosing to get vaccinated, by the assumption that 12-and-over eligibility can feel like an arbitrary cutoff, and by the simple physiological fact that some 11-year-olds appear developed beyond their years.
Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston has “sympathy for parents just trying to make the best decisions they can based on many government leaders who are unwilling to protect them.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has banned mask mandates, a decision that is being challenged in court and defied by a number of county school districts.
But Hotez believes the answer isn’t to sneak younger kids in for a shot. Rather, he urges parents to put their anger and frustration into fighting for mask mandates while the FDA continues its research into the efficacy, side effects and even appropriate dose level for those under 12.
“The FDA is working as expeditiously as possible, but the reason we’re conservative with kids is because if you get things wrong, the stakes are higher,” said Hotez, who also is co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
Hotez notes that “not all 11-year-olds are created equal,” and the vaccine’s effect on children may prove different from the effect on adults. There is also the possibility that researchers may determine that those under 12 should receive half an adult vaccine dose. Lastly, he points out that the FDA has never approved a vaccine for younger kids on an emergency use basis. “It’s a murky and complicated road map,” he said.
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