MACON, Ga. — As Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is being shipped out and Moderna just received FDA approval, many people are wondering when we will have a vaccine for children.
Right now, Pfizer's vaccine is approved only for people 16 years old and up, and Moderna is for 18 or older.
Parents like Kaththea Darmento are just waiting on the day they can get their kids vaccinated for COVID-19.
"They have not been in a store since March," she says. "We're still pretty much just home-bodied."
With all of the compromised immune systems in their house, Darmento says she can't wait to get her kids vaccinated.
"They need to be protected -- as long as it is proven safe."
Both Moderna and Pfizer are currently adding kids ages 12 to 17 into their Phase Three trials.
"Once that is good, they'll say, 'Hey, can we bring this down to 6-month-olds?,' so I know that would be their next step, goal is bringing it down to as young as possible, so hopefully we can vaccinate everybody."
Macon Pediatrician Dr. Lance Slade says it's not unusual for a vaccine to get approved for adults first and then add younger kids later on.
"It's just gonna take time for being able to get it safe and efficacious, effective and both safe for kids."
He says we could see a vaccine, at least for teens, by fall of 2021.
"Kids spread stuff at daycare and at school, so if we can limit that and keep kids healthy, I think that would lessen the spread of illness."
According to the CDC, kids are less likely to die from COVID-19 than adults, but, like Dr. Slade said, they do spread it and cases in kids are going up.
More than 1.4 million children in the U.S. have been infected so far.