About 48 million American children are not eligible for a coronavirus shot. Their parents face difficult choices as school starts.
President Biden has declared the current coronavirus surge a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” But as the United States confronts its worst moment of the pandemic since the winter, there is a group of 48 million people who do not have the option of getting a vaccine: children under 12. Because a vaccine is not yet authorized for young children, and may not be for some time, their families are left in a particularly difficult position heading into this school year. “Waiting for a vaccine for the under-12 set has started to feel like waiting for Godot,” said Dana Gilbert,49, of Minneapolis. Her 11-year-old son was born prematurely and has special needs, and a family doctor advised that he not return to school in person until a vaccine is available. She had hoped that might happen by now. Instead, she is scrambling to find a tutor. Her plan is to wait out the clock: Keep him at home until a vaccine is authorized for emergency use, or until he turns 12 next year, whichever comes first. Polls show that a considerable number of parents do not intend to get their children vaccinated even when shots become available. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 25 percent to 30 percent of parents with younger children would “definitely not” get them vaccinated. A Gallup poll found that 46 percent do not plan to do so. But millions of other families are in anxious limbo, waiting for a vaccine, as the Delta variant leads to a swell of new cases, including in children. The timeline for a vaccine for children under 12 — initially expected by this fall — appears to have slowed, as officials consider safety, effectiveness and dosage. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, recently indicated that a vaccine could become available to young children “hopefully by the mid, late fall and early winter.” Shots for children ages 5 to 11 are expected first; children as young as six months may have to wait longer. In interviews, many parents of children under 12 described feeling increasingly desperate, angry and backed into a corner as they reluctantly send their children into the classroom this fall — or resort to drastic actions to keep them safe. Others are less worried, but equally frustrated as they head into another school year marked by pandemic rules. In some cases, mandates are being applied most stringently to young children not eligible for a vaccine. “It doesn’t feel like there are any good options at this point,” said Adina Ellis,45, who tossed and turned in bed for hours the night before school started this week in Washington, D.C., racked with indecision about whether to send her 6-year-old son, Cassius. Ms. Ellis lost her father to Covid-19 last year and had been among a group of parents calling for the mayor to allow remote learning. But like some other large cities, Washington is requiring nearly all students to be in person this year.
