A turning point in the fight against COVID-19 has been called by U.S. President Joe Biden the authorization of vaccines for 5-11 year olds.

"Today we have reached a turning point in our fight against COVID-19: authorization of a safe, effective vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.  This will allow parents to end months of worrying about their children and reduce the spread of the virus to children.  This is an important step forward for our country in the fight to defeat the virus," the U.S. president said on the official White House website.

The President's administration, he said, has worked hard to bring this event closer and be ready for it.

"Over the last several weeks, my administration has worked hard to prepare for this moment: we are ready to act. We have already secured an ample supply of vaccines for every child in America, and this past weekend we began the process of packaging and shipping millions of doses of pediatric vaccine. These doses - specifically designed for young children - have begun arriving at thousands of locations across the country," Biden said.

Now the childhood vaccination program will only increase its pace. It is scheduled to begin as early as Nov. 8. Pharmacies, pediatric centers, schools and other locations will be able to vaccinate their children.

"Thanks to the work done, we can be sure that vaccination of children will be accessible, easy and convenient. The vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will allow us to build on the outstanding progress we've made in the past nine months. Already, more than 78 percent of Americans ages 12 and older have had at least one vaccination, including millions of teens, and the vaccines have proven incredibly safe and effective," the White House chief summarized.