Biden administration orders millions of Covid-19 vaccines for children aged under 5

White House to 'immediately' ship out 10 million doses if FDA authorises a vaccine

US President Joe Biden's administration has ordered millions of Covid-19 vaccines for children aged 5 and under in anticipation of a possible federal authorisation next week, the White House said on Thursday.

"Today, the Biden administration is announcing an operational plan that will ensure that vaccines ... are readily available for our youngest kids and that we continue the critical work of ensuring that all families know the benefits of getting their children vaccinated against Covid-19," the White House said.

The administration said an FDA authorisation for Covid-19 vaccinations for the age group would be a "historic milestone" in the nation's effort to fight the virus.

Ten million doses have been made available for pre-order and the administration will "immediately" ship them if the FDA authorises a vaccine. Half of those doses will be Pfizer and the other half Moderna, a senior administration official said.

As of this week, about 1.45 million of the 2.5 million available doses of Pfizer have been ordered and about 850,000 of available Moderna shots have been ordered, officials said. More orders are expected in the coming days.

Children under the age of 5 are the last group of Americans who have not yet been recommended to receive Covid-19 vaccinations. About 20 million young children would become eligible for vaccination if the government authorises one or both shots.

The White House said 85 per cent of eligible children would be within eight kilometres of a potential vaccination site.

But it is not known how popular the shots will be: a recent survey suggests only 1 in 5 parents of young children would vaccinate their children right away.

People ride a New Jersey bus after the US government announced it would no longer enforce a mask mandate on public transport. Reuters

People arrive at a New Jersey transit station after the nationwide public transport mask mandate is repealed. Reuters

A healthcare administrator checks paperwork at a mobile Covid-19 testing centre outside Pennsylvania Station in New York City. Reuters

A person carries a sign protesting Covid-19 vaccines in Washington. AFP

A sign urges passengers to wear masks at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Bloomberg

Travellers wait for transport outside of the Los Angeles International Airport. AP

President Joe Biden receives his second Covid-19 booster shot on March 30, 2022, in Washington. AP

A nurse registers people for second booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine in Waterford, Michigan. Reuters

A woman gets a haircut as the indoor mask mandate is temporarily reinstated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Reuters

Travellers walk to their destinations at the Los Angeles International Airport. AP

A nurse administers a Covid-19 booster vaccination at a clinic in San Rafael, California. AFP

A medical worker administers Covid-19 tests in Brooklyn, New York. AFP

A Covid-19 testing site stands on a Brooklyn street corner in New York City. AFP

US President Joe Biden removes his face mask before delivering remarks at the White House in Washington. Reuters

Public health officials have been disappointed over how many older US children, who have been eligible for shots for months, have yet to be vaccinated - less than one third of children aged ages 5 to 11 have received the two recommended doses, government figures show.

Pfizer has asked the FDA to authorise three doses of its Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 6 months to 4 years. Each dose is one tenth of the amount adults receive.

Moderna has asked the FDA to authorise two shots for children aged six months to 5 years, each containing a quarter of the dose given to adults.

Vaccinations could begin in earnest as early as June 21, White House Covid-19 co-ordinator Ashish Jha told reporters last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report