Supermarket giant Publix says the company will not vaccinate children under the age of 5 with the COVID-19 vaccine, despite federal shot approval. It is reported that it was confirmed this week.
A Publix spokeswoman said the company would not provide the COVID-19 vaccine to children under the age of 4 "at this time"Tampa Bay Timesreported. The company refused to elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.
The post contacted Publix for further comment.
Publix has taken that position despite recent guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Both federal agencies approved Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 for 6-month-old children earlier this month. Shots are available from last weekend. According to CDC officials, this shot provides young children with better protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
Publix website still manages Pfizer COVID It states that it has 19 vaccines, including boosters for children aged 5 to 11 years. The company also offers a variety of vaccinations, including flu shots, for everyone over 6 months.
In March,Florida became the first US state, and health officials officially advised against COVID-19 vaccination of healthy children.
Florida was also the only US state that did not pre-order COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of five. Publix was unaffected by this decision as it participates in a program that allows the company to order doses from the federal government.
"Florida's decision not to participate in the tedious vaccine pre-ordering process never prohibited the supply of vaccines from being ordered or made available in Florida," said Florida Health. The ministry said in a statement last Friday.
The Associated Press reported that approximately 18 million children under the age of five are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide. COVID-19 infections and severe illnesses are common in adults, but children can still get sick.
A CVS pharmacy spokesman toldTampa Bay Fox 13that he would provide the COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 18 months to 4 years, and Walgreens was over 3 years old. He said he would vaccinate his child.
Publix operates approximately 1,300 stores, including 833 locations in Florida. The chain is also active in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
