ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Amid surging numbers of COVID-19 cases in Florida and debates over mask-wearing in schools, you may be wondering about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids.
Here's which age groups are currently eligible to receive each COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S.
Pfizer
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday gave its full approval to the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine amid hopes its backing will spur more people to get vaccinated.
While the full FDA approval for Pfizer's vaccine applies to people 16 and older, it is still available to children 12 and older under the existing emergency use authorization.
Moderna
The two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people 18 and older under the FDA's emergency use authorization.
Moderna applied for full FDA approval a few months after Pfizer, so it will take some time for the agency to approve it.
Johnson & Johnson
The one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is available for people 18 and older under an emergency use authorization by the FDA.
J&J said it hopes to apply for full-FDA approval later this year.
While the COVID-19 vaccine is only available to people ages 12 and up in the U.S. right now, all three pharmaceutical companies are conducting trials with the vaccine on children in younger age groups.
Both Pfizer and Moderna back in March began COVID vaccine trials on children as young as 6 months old. In fact, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine was selected as a site for the clinical trial testing of the Moderna vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 11 years old.