WASHINGTON — Coronavirus vaccines could become available to children under the age of 5 within a matter of days, potentially offering relief to millions of parents who have been unable to inoculate their children since the vaccination effort began in late 2020.

“We have waited a long time for this moment,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who heads the White House pandemic response team, said during a Thursday press briefing. “We are on the cusp of having safe, highly effective vaccines for kids under 5.”

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, at the daily press briefing on June 2. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The vaccines still need to be approved by the