MCLEAN, Va. — The First Lady of the United States was in McLean, Virginia, Monday as part of the push to get children vaccinated against COVID-19 across the country.
Dr. Jill Biden urged parents and guardians to vaccinate their children against the virus during a visit to a pediatric vaccination clinic at Franklin Sherman Elementary School. The elementary school has made headlines when it comes to vaccines in the past. It was the first school to administer the polio vaccine back in 1954.
Last week, an independent advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 11. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed the CDC panel's recommendations soon after.
The CDC said its decision now expands vaccine recommendations to 28 million kids. Vaccination clinics aimed to get children their shots are popping up nationwide.
“Together, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19," Walensky said. "We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine."
The CDC reports the vaccine is 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 in kids ages 5-11.