Week of Action
Take action today by emailing the FDA, CDC, APP, and your Congressional representatives. We have suggested language for these messages. Please add your own personal reasons for wanting vaccines for kids!
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
To: Robert Califf, MD, Commissioner rmc001@fda.hhs.gov
CC: Peter Marks, MD, PhD, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Director Peter.Marks@fda.hhs.gov; Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee - VRBPAC@fda.hhs.gov
Dear Dr. Califf (cc: Dr. Peter Marks, cc: VRBPAC):
I respectfully ask you to take urgent action to make COVID vaccines accessible to children under 5. We have the science. We know that these vaccines are safe and we know that COVID has harmed too many children. Our leaders need to take action NOW to protect our youngest. Doctors agree there are ways to do this safely and effectively.
Please ensure that vaccines are reviewed promptly and that they are approved for our youngest when they are shown to be safe and protect children against COVID. Furthermore, please remove the de-escalation barrier to ensure that children have access to vaccines currently in the pipeline. This is critical today, and it will continue to be important as future treatments and vaccines are developed during the ongoing pandemic.
Delaying distribution and administration to children simply because of procedure is unethical and immoral in light of our current circumstances. The number of babies and young children infected with COVID has been higher than at any other period during the pandemic, creating the largest health risk that kids have faced collectively throughout the entire pandemic.
Every hospitalization, medical complication, death and case of MIS-C that occurs in a child under 5, due to COVID-19 at this point in the pandemic is a travesty that could have been prevented. We have the technology and science to protect our children, yet we have not made their protection our number one priority. Please protect our children now.
Sincerely,
[First Name, Last Name ]
[Title if Applicable ]
[City, State]
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
To: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC Director Director@cdc.gov
CC: CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Processes (ACIP) acip@cdc.gov; Xavier Becerra, HHS Secretary Xavier.becerra@hhs.gov
Dear Dr. Walensky (CC: Becerra/ HHS, cc: ACIP):
I respectfully ask you to take urgent action to make COVID vaccines accessible to children under 5. We have the science. We know that these vaccines are safe and we know that COVID has harmed too many children. Our leaders need to take action NOW to protect our youngest. Doctors agree there are ways to do this safely and effectively.
We know that the CDC’s vaccine provider agreement is the only barrier to off-label use of fully approved COVID vaccines. No other drug is restricted in this way. You could cut that red tape with a simple press release today. We have ample evidence through trials and real-world data that mRNA vaccines are safe for children. Further delay will only result in more harm to our children.
You have the power to prevent unnecessary suffering among an entire generation of children by paving the way for use of a readily available, safe, and effective method of protection against this deadly virus.
Every hospitalization, medical complication, death and case of MIS-C and long COVID that occurs in a child under 5 at this point in the pandemic is a travesty that could have been prevented. We have the data and the technology, yet we have not made their protection our top priority. Please do not make us wait any longer to protect our children.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Title if Applicable]
[City, State]
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
To: Dr. Moira Szilagyi, AAP President mszilagyi@mednet.ucla.edu
CC: COVID-19@aap.org
Dear Dr. Szilagyi:
We are asking you to urgently advocate for prompt COVID vaccine access for kids under 5 years of age so they can receive protection from a virus they currently have no defense against. Pediatricians agree that these vaccines are safe and COVID hurts children, especially during a raging pandemic. There are ways to cut the red tape and safely provide access to children–but only if we prioritize our children’s health.
Every hospitalization, medical complication, death and case of MIS-C and long COVID that occurs in a child under 5 at this point in the pandemic is a travesty that could have been prevented. We have the data. We have the technology. Yet we have not made their protection our top priority. This must change immediately.
We implore you. Please do not make us wait any longer to protect our children.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Title if Applicable]
[City, State]
Congress
Find your representatives
U.S. Senate Health Committee Leadership
Chair Patty Murray https://www.murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty/
Bernie Sanders https://www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/
Ranking Member Richard Burr https://www.burr.senate.gov/email-me
Susan Collins https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins
Find your Senator: https://www.help.senate.gov/about/members
Find your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative#
Message
Dear [Senator/Representative NAME],
Given record-breaking levels of pediatric infections and hospitalizations and severe illness disproportionately affecting unvaccinated children, we are asking you to advocate for vaccine accessibility for children under 5.
Please advocate to remove bureaucratic barriers that are currently delaying vaccine access to young children.
In order to get vaccines safely and quickly to our children, we need our health agencies to keep the public informed. Please hold congressional hearings to gain greater transparency from our health agencies about the trials and process. This is critical to maintain public trust and allow doctors to advocate for their patients.
Every hospitalization, medical complication, death and case of MIS-C and long COVID that occurs in a child under 5 at this point in the pandemic is a travesty that could have been prevented. We have the data and the technology, yet we have not made their protection our top priority. Please do not make us wait any longer to protect our children.
[Insert personal info - if you live in their state/district tell them where you live and tell them if you are a parent or a doctor]. My family can’t wait any longer. Please let me know if I can count on your commitment to advocate for our youngest citizens and their families.
Sincerely,
[First Name, Last Name]
[Title if Applicable]
[City, State]