“We expect an FDA decision shortly after the advisory committee meeting, and we look forward to this process playing out,” Jha said. “The FDA authorization is not the final step in the process before vaccinations can begin. CDC must also issue its recommendations. If the FDA authorizes the vaccines, the CDC will have its advisory committee meetings and ultimately the CDC director will make her recommendations.”
Jha said the White House was not going to “prejudge the outcome of the process,” but was already “hard at work” planning for the process to play out.
“We’ve been working very closely with states with local health departments, with pediatricians, family physicians, other health care providers and pharmacies to get ready,” he said, adding the administration expected “the vast majority” of kids would be “vaccinated by their primary care providers.”
The Monday after the FDA advisory committee meeting is June 20, when the US celebrates Juneteenth, so Jha said the White House expects “that vaccinations will begin in earnest as early as Tuesday, June 21.” He noted it will take some time for the program to ramp up and for vaccines to be more widely available.