ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Food and Drug Administration could decide in the next few weeks whether to approve the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

Parents have been lining up at vaccination sites with their children who are over 12 since May. But for those with younger children, new data shows they aren’t as eager, and that’s something the medical community is working hard to address.

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For 18 months, a Texas-based consumer research firm has tracked virus-related attitudes of nearly 40,000 people.

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According to the firm, parents of children under 11 are more than twice as likely to want to wait for further testing before vaccinating younger children.

Pediatricians across Central Florida are now working to reassure parents, noting the safety of the smaller dose for children and its effectiveness in stopping the cycle of infection.

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