Gov. Polis Leads Bipartisan Call for President Biden to Urge the FDA to Quickly Approve the Safe & Effective COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Under 5 & Give Parents Peace of Mind

Polis Administration continues to implement long-term plan for COVID response outlined in the Governor’s Roadmap to Moving Forward, calls upon the federal government to act with increased urgency and speed to authorize lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5

DENVER - Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker sent a bipartisan letter  to President Biden calling on the President to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act quickly to authorize a safe, effective, lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5. 

“Parents have been told, over and over again, that COVID-19 vaccines are on the horizon for their children. They deserve the peace of mind that comes with being able to choose to protect their children through vaccination,” Gov. Polis and Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts wrote.

“Ensuring the vaccine is accessible to families with children under 5 will help keep our kids in the classroom and daycare, give parents more peace of mind, and help put the pandemic behind us. American families are making long-awaited plans to see grandparents and loved ones, but are anxiously facing the third summer in a row that their youngest children remain unprotected. With courts rolling back the mask mandate, parents are given very grave decisions on how to move on past the pandemic with their children still not eligible for the vaccine. Many parents of young children feel left behind, and are angry and dismayed,” the Governors’ letter continues. 

“COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5 will be integral to our future success and our country moving past the COVID pandemic. We can strengthen community immunity in

preparation for the next surge. We urge the FDA to not delay in reviewing Moderna’s application and give the review of a lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine for our youngest children the attention, urgency and action it deserves. The time is now,” the letter continues. 

Governor Polis has continuously advocated for the authorization of a safe and effective vaccine for children under age 5 and in April, Governor Polis wrote to President Biden urging action on this issue. Colorado is home to a quarter million children younger than the age of 5 and the Polis administration’s Roadmap to Moving Forward which is supported by local leaders also urged the FDA to approve the vaccine for all ages.