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u.s. news Diasabra 30 Januari 2021

Fauci sees vaccination for kids by late spring or the summer

(AP) — The government's emergency room physician,
top infectious disease ex- who supports Fauci's goal.
pert said Friday he hopes “Children can also be vectors
to see children being vac- of transmission, and getting
cinated starting in the children vaccinated is impor-
next few months. It's a tant as we strive for herd im-
needed step to securing munity.”
widespread immunity to
the coronavirus. The Food and Drug Admin-
istration has not yet approved
“Hopefully by the time we vaccines for children, due to
get to the late spring and insufficient testing data on
early summer we will have safety and effectiveness for
children being able to be vac- young people. But Fauci said
cinated,” Dr. Anthony Fauci data is being gathered now,
said during the White House through a process called “age
coronavirus briefing. de-escalation testing.”

Vaccines are not yet approved For example, the Pfizer-
for children, and Fauci was BioNTech vaccine received
looking ahead to a time they emergency approval for use
will be plentiful. Even older in people 16 and older. The
adults are having difficulty next step, said Fauci, involves
getting shots at the moment. testing in children down to
As of Thursday, only about 12 years old, and if that's suc-
1.3% of Americans had been cessful it's followed by an-
fully vaccinated with the re- other round of testing down
quired two doses of the cur- to those 9 years old. measured in hundreds to a goal of 100 million shots in
rently available vaccines. couple of thousands ... what its first 100 days. His American Rescue Plan
Since the initial tests to vali- we call safety and ... immu- legislation in Congress calls
Children represent about date the safety and effective- nogenicity.” That's a term for Two more vaccines from for $50 billion to finance
one-fourth of the popula- ness of the Pfizer and Mod- whether the vaccine success- American companies are a major expansion of test-
tion, and for the U.S. to erna vaccines involved tens of fully triggers an immune sys- nearing the stage where the ing, which is seen as neces-
reach “herd immunity," or thousands of people, the age- tem response. FDA can evaluate them for sary for the safe reopening
widespread resistance, about related testing on children approval. One from Johnson of schools and businesses.
70% to 85% of the population can be done using smaller After a frustratingly slow & Johnson requires only a That's because robust test-
must be vaccinated. groups. start, the U.S. is now admin- single shot. ing can detect early outbreaks
istering about 1 million shots before they spread through a
“Children tend to not be- “You don’t want to have to ... a day to adults, although that Biden has also set a goal of community and trigger shut-
come as severely ill as adults go through an efficacy trial, pace is still seen as insuf- reopening most schools by downs. Testing in the U.S.
but they can still become where you’re involving tens ficient. President Joe Biden the summer, and directed had a chaotic start, and ex-
ill and some have tragically of thousands of children," has talked about 1.5 million government agencies to work perts say in many parts of the
died,” said Dr. Leana Wen, said Fauci. “What you can shots a day, if it can be done. with communities to advance country it's still subpar.
a public health expert and do, is in a much smaller trial, His administration has set a it.

Biden to visit wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital

(AP) — President Joe at Walter Reed National pital, which treats thousands Army National Guard, died just a few trips to the hospital
Biden is making his first Military Medical Center. of military service members, there in 2015 after a long bat- made by Trump, who broke
major foray outside the veterans and their families. tle with brain cancer. with predecessor President
White House on Friday, Biden has a long and per- His son Beau, who served Barack Obama in terms of
to visit wounded soldiers sonal history with the hos- as a major in the Delaware Even before Beau’s treatment visiting troops there. Obama
at the hospital in Bethesda, made nearly two dozen trips
Maryland, just outside Wash- to the hospital to meet with
ington, Joe Biden and his wounded soldiers.
wife, Jill, were frequent visi-
tors during his time as vice Biden’s early visit there
president, making multiple marks one of his first depar-
Christmas Day stops to meet tures from the gated White
with soldiers there. Jill Biden House campus. Throughout
focused in part on promoting the transition and even dur-
awareness of issues affecting ing the campaign, Biden has
military families during that pared back his travel and in-
time, and on Friday she’ll person meetings, doing as
again be focused on the issue much work as possible virtu-
as she participates in a virtual ally to minimize the risk of
event with military-connect- spreading the coronavirus.
ed students. In the 10 days since he
Walter Reed also features a was inaugurated president,
specially outfitted suite for Biden’s only other ventures
presidents to receive treat- beyond the White House
ment, and President Donald complex included a visit to
Trump was admitted there the Lincoln Memorial for a
for a few days last October celebration on Inauguration
receiving treatment for the Day evening and a visit to
coronavirus. It was one of church last Sunday.