1st wave of COVID vaccines for kids under 5 available Monday, NC health leaders say: Monday, June 20

North Carolina health leaders say COVID-19 shots for the youngest children eligible to be vaccinated will be available in a matter of days.

On Saturday, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky gave her endorsement of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children aged 6 months to under 5 years. This means about 18 million kids will be able to get the shots, but how many actually will is still to be seen. Less than a third of kids aged 5 to 11 have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said in a news release just minutes after Walensky's endorsement vaccines for kids under 5 would be available across the Tar Heel state as early as Monday. That's when the first wave of shipments is expected, but NCDHHS urged parents and guardians to coordinate with their child's pediatrician, medical provider, or local health department for more details on availability.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-shots-vaccines-kids-infants-north-carolina-health/275-1f32bf14-bb5b-4cdd-a6f7-c0a50337adfd

World swimming’s governing body has effectively banned transgender women from competing in women’s events, starting Monday.

FINA members widely adopted a new “gender inclusion policy” on Sunday that only permits swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women’s events. The organization also proposed an “open competition category.”

“This is not saying that people are encouraged to transition by the age of 12. It’s what the scientists are saying, that if you transition after the start of puberty, you have an advantage, which is unfair,” James Pearce, who is the spokesperson for FINA president Husain Al-Musallam, told The Associated Press.

“They’re not saying everyone should transition by age 11, that’s ridiculous. You can’t transition by that age in most countries and hopefully you wouldn’t be encouraged to. Basically, what they’re saying is that it is not feasible for people who have transitioned to compete without having an advantage.”

Pearce confirmed there are currently no transgender women competing in elite levels of swimming.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health just lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition hormone treatment to 14 and some surgeries to 15 or 17.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/new-fina-policy-for-transgender-athletes/507-6f74161e-4cac-4f5e-ac10-9d33ea56877a

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