Washington, D.C. – Today, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) announced that it stands by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other public health and clinical experts’ recommendations that children ages 5 and up get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“As an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the health and well-being of children and families, AMCHP continues to stand by the science and urges vaccination of children ages 5 and older against COVID-19,” said Terrance E. Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AMCHP. “While some people may dismiss the threat posed by COVID-19 to children, the data show that children can experience severe complications – or worse – from COVID-19. The best way to protect all children from severe illness, including children under age 5 who are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, is by increasing uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among all populations eligible for a vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is known to be safe and effective for children ages 5 and older.”
As of March 10, 2022, over 254 million people, or 76.6% of the total U.S. population, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; yet, according to CDC data, only 26.6% of 5-11 year olds are fully vaccinated. New vaccines are evaluated by long-standing, rigorous, and transparent processes that are enforced and carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines before they are approved for use in the general population – even under a so-called “Emergency Use Authorization.” AMCHP is committed to working alongside our federal agency and organizational partners to continue raising awareness on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine against COVID-19.
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The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) is a national resource, partner, and advocate for state public health leaders and others working to improve the health of women, infants, children, youth, parents, families, and communities. AMCHP builds successful programs to serve its members by disseminating best practices; advocating on their behalf in Washington, DC; providing technical assistance; convening leaders to share experiences and ideas; and advising states about involving partners to reach our common goal of healthy children, healthy families, and healthy communities. For more information visit www.amchp.org and follow AMCHP on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
