When is the COVID vaccine coming for kids under 5? Delays leave 53% of parents frustrated

NEW YORK — The world is finally starting to reopen after two years of pandemic isolation. While that’s great news for many adults taking the COVID-19 vaccine, there’s still a lot of frustration over the lack of progress when it comes to protecting children.

More than half of parents whose children are too young receive a COVID-19 vaccine feel “disappointed” by recent delays in vaccine testing. The OnePoll survey of 1,000 parents found that 53 percent of those with children under five are unhappy about the lack of COVID vaccines available for their little ones.

However, 56 percent remain hopeful that the vaccine will be available for kids under five at some point this year. Six in 10 agree that having access to a child-safe vaccine will bring them peace of mind.

In February, Pfizer-BioNTech postponed its vaccine for children between six months and four years of age to continue gathering more trial data, leaving many families in limbo for the foreseeable future. However, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla recently went on television, saying he hopes to have that data next month and the coronavirus vaccine could be available for young kids by May.

Moderna also said it expects to have vaccine data for kids between two and five in March.

Kids COVID Vaccines

1 in 8 parents may not vaccinate their kids for COVID

The study also polled parents of children between five and 18, finding that 60 percent have already fully vaccinated their older children against COVID. Of those, 82 percent felt a sense of relief after their child received their shots.

Despite that, 85 percent shared that their families are still taking further precautions, such as washing their hands regularly, wearing masks, and continuing to social distance.

Meanwhile, the data suggests that 21 percent of eligible children are still waiting to get their shots. Only 13 percent of parents have no plans to vaccinate their kids, while eight percent would do so in the future.