TEXAS, USA — Pfizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works and is safe for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorization for this age group soon. It's a polarizing moment across the country, but some Central Texan's say it's about time.
"I felt a great sense of relief," said Heather Matheny, a mother of two.
Matheny got the vaccine back in February and now she wants her kids to get it as well.
"I would be first in line if I could to get them vaccinated," she said.
As a healthcare worker she has seen the worst of COVID-19 and doesn't want it to impact her family.
"I am so worried about the increase of children in hospitals with the delta variant," Matheny said. "I wasn't so initially concerned with the alpha strain, but I want to do what I can as a parent and as a healthcare worker to keep those numbers down and to keep them out of the hospital."
Her oldest could be next in line with news of Pfizer seeking approval for some of the youngest population.
Dr. Ben Wilson, the associate chief medical officer and COVID-19 coordinator at Waco Family Medicine said the vaccine approval for kids is needed to fight the deadly virus.
"A lot of people think that COVID in children is just not a big deal," said Wilson. "There were 30,000 pediatric admissions due to the delta variant, predominantly, in our country in the month of August alone. So, it is something that we, that we cannot discount or undermine - the seriousness of COVID in the pediatric population."
Wilson is a father of three young kids himself. He plans to get them vaccinated after he looks at the data provided by Pfizer and if it's granted approval by the FDA and CDC.
He added that vaccines for kids can't come soon enough.
"I thought this just couldn't come soon enough, I mean I was greatly relieved to hear that news and I wait with great anticipation for the vaccine to be approved in the pediatric population through an ERA or full FDA approval, either one," Wilson said.
Now it's just a waiting game.
"I really don't have any worries about them getting vaccinated, I'm more so just worried about them until they get vaccinated," Matheny said.
Pfizer's trial used dosages that were about a third of what adults were given, but officials said kids developed coronavirus-fighting antibodies on a level equal to teenagers and young adults.