US, Florida surgeon generals offer conflicting advice on COVID vaccines for kids

US, Florida surgeon generals offer conflicting advice on COVID vaccines for kids As vaccines roll out this week for the final age group yet to be approved, the top doctors in Florida and the U.S. are offering opposite advice when it comes to vaccinating young children. edonovan WFLA

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The vaccines were approved by the FDA last week and given authorization by the CDC to vaccinate children as young as 6 months the following day.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said despite the very low risk of severe outcomes to young children from COVID-19, the benefits of protection from the vaccine outweigh the risks.

“It is absolutely true that young children thankfully are at lower risk of bad outcomes from COVID than older Americans,” Murthy told 8 On Your Side in an exclusive interview. “But that does not mean no risk. In fact, we’ve seen that COVID is more deadly than the flu. It’s been more deadly than other illnesses for which we already vaccinate children right now. We have lost nearly 500 children under 5 during the pandemic.”

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said there is “insufficient data to inform benefits and risks in children.”

“We expect to have good data that the benefits outweigh the risks of any therapies or treatments before we recommend them to Floridians,” Ladapo said last week about the vaccine trials. “That’s not going to change. I don’t think that’s particularly radical. I think it’s very sensible.”

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