School-age children could be vaccinated by this fall

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – In the battle against COVID-19, the focus now is on the emerging Delta variant and protecting our youth.

Moderna and Pfizer say they are in the final stages of testing the Covid vaccines on children five and above. The FDA could have trial data as early as this fall. If these trials go well, all school-age children five and above could be eligible for a vaccine as early as this fall.

Pfizer announced it has launched its final trial with 4,500 participants in the US and Europe.

The progress on approval comes as there is growing concern over the Delta variant first discovered in India. It makes up more than 6% of the cases here in the US, according to the White House. The variant is highly contagious and experts believe it may be associated with an increase in severity.

The best defense is the vaccine, which appears to be holding up as the virus changes. The challenge is getting enough people vaccinated.

The White House says the country has made good progress with more than half of us adults fully vaccinated. But right now, the country is not on track to meet the goal of 70% of US adults with one dose by the Fourth of July.