COVID News: FDA warns parents not to seek out COVID vaccines for children under 12

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The FDA is urging parents not to seek out COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12 because they're not yet eligible.

The agency noted that "children are not small adults," and said it is still working through the process of ensuring the vaccines are safe for younger kids.

"While of course I can understand that parents are anxious to get their kids vaccinated, it's super important for the FDA to complete its process," Harvard Medical School Professor Dr. John Brownstein said.

The announcement comes amid the uncertainty of a new school year, with early a million New York City public school students headed back to classrooms.

Here are more of today's COVID-19 headlines:

Unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die of COVID, CDC director says

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky spoke during a White House briefing on Friday and said those who are unvaccinated are 11 times more likely to die of COVID. Walensky said even accounting for Delta and other factors "it's still well over 90% of people who are in the hospital are unvaccinated." She added there are "more than 10 times the number of people in the hospital who are unvaccinated compared to vaccinated." And earlier in the briefing, she gave this statistic: "Those who were unvaccinated were about four-and-a-half times more likely to get COVID-19, are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die."

This school district will offer $100 to vaccinated students

Milwaukee Public Schools, the largest school district in Wisconsin, will give $100 to students who get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The district's school board voted unanimously Thursday night to mandate vaccinations for staff by Nov. 1, with exceptions for religious or medical reasons.

The board considered a vaccine mandate for students but ended up unanimously approving a $100 incentive for MPS students 12 and older who provide proof of vaccination by Nov. 1., including those who already got their shots.

Highest number of deaths in Texas since pandemic's start

In states across the South and Midwest, hospitals are once again overwhelmed with COVID patients, most of them unvaccinated.

Texas reported the highest number of fatalities since the pandemic began.

Christina Martinez was in a coma for six weeks with COVID and is now sharing this message about why she finally got her shot.

"People don't like to be told what to do, but it is for your own safety," she said.

Some Republican governors are already threatening to sue the Biden administration over the mandates, but experts say the president appears to have solid legal standing under the executive orders and emergency rules.

NYC Mayor says no vaccine mandates for students

There are no plans for a vaccine mandate for eligible students in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday, adding the city is instead focusing on getting students physically back into school classrooms Monday.

"We just don't think that's the right thing to do," he said. "We can keep any option on the table. But right now, no. We want every kid in school."

Biden blasts passengers who harass flight attendants over face masks

President Joe Biden blasted travelers who harass flight attendants because they don't want to wear a face mask and announced fines would double for those who don't comply with the US federal transportation mask mandate.

"If you break the rules, be prepared to pay," Biden said, speaking from the White House. "And by the way, show some respect. The anger you see on television toward flight attendants and others doing their job is wrong. It's ugly."

In recent months, there have been many incidents involving flight attendants and travelers who refuse to wear a face mask and several videos of these encounters have gone viral on social media.

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