STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Erica McCabe is a mom of five children ranging from age 10 to 22. She hopes later this week, her 12 and 14 year olds will be able to get their first dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
"My 22 year old is already vaccinated. I am really looking forward to the 14 year old getting vaccinated. My kids have pre-existing conditions, but it's not just about them. It's about caring for your community. We really need to get COVID under control," said McCabe.
The FDA approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for people age 12 and older. Before vaccinations in this age group can begin, the CDC needs to review the data and make an official recommendation to use the vaccine for this age group. That decision is expected to come sometime this week.
Parents Newswatch 16 spoke to say they've done the research, spoken with their doctors, and feel safe vaccinating their children once the go-ahead is given.
"We really need to be diligent right now about these kinds of decisions. If the FDA says it's OK and then the CDC says it's OK, then I think we should just continue on and follow their recommendations," said Cem Zeytinoglu, Stroud Township.
While some parents plan to get their children vaccinated once they get the go-ahead, some other parents plan to wait.
"I still have some questions about the vaccine and things that can happen after the vaccine," said Ursula Poznanska.
Ursula Poznanska from Stroudsburg says she's not ruling out getting her children vaccinated; she just wants to be sure it's safe.
"I am not like an anti-vaccine person. I feel like vaccination is important, but for now, I feel like this is a little early for the health of my kids. I am not ready for this," said Poznanska.
Vaccine providers in Pennsylvania have been told to be ready for vaccination requests for people in this age group later this week.