LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington father of two, Eric Green, has been waiting for this moment for months. He recently learned his 10-year-old son Vincent could get the COVID-19 vaccine soon.
That's because, on Sunday, the CEO of Pfizer said they'll ask for emergency approval for their vaccine for kids ages five to 11 within days.
Green is "really excited," he told LEX 18 on Monday. "He's the only one in the house who hasn't had a chance to get it."
"Even though he's very low risk, it will help others," Green said. "Seems like it's the easiest thing to do to help everybody."
He said once Vincent is vaccinated, their whole family will have gotten the shot, including his 13-year-old daughter Vivian. She got hers in May, just days after the vaccine was approved for her age group.
"I think after Vivian got it, we hit that next level of comfort, where three-quarters of the house is protected," Green said.
While the vaccine remains a point of contention for some Americans, many parents are anxious for their kids to become eligible.
There are nearly 660,000 children under the age of 12 in Kentucky, and none of them currently qualify for any vaccine.
"I've had so many families come in and say, 'Hey, have you heard from any of your medical journals or any of your medical friends when the vaccine could be approved? Because we want it as soon as possible,'" said Dr. Beth Hawse, a pediatrician at Commonwealth Pediatrics.
You can count Green among those eager parents as he waits for an update that could come any day.
"It's public health," he said. "Like wearing a seatbelt, but it helps others too."
The federal government could decide whether children can get the vaccine by the end of October. You can find out more about the vaccine for kids here.
