Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) independent advisory group recommended that the Pfizer-BioNTech application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 through 11 be approved. Currently, only children 12-years-and-older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
I have shared information below from the Connecticut Department of Health (CT DPH) explaining what this means for you in the coming days, and where to find further information.
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What does this recommendation mean for you?
The Connecticut Department of Public Health anticipates several authorization activities to follow within the next week:
- In the next days, the FDA will likely accept these recommendations and issue an EUA for the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent advisory group, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet next week on Nov. 2 and 3 to issue its own independent recommendations related to the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11
- The CDC Director will likely accept the ACIP’s recommendations
- If all recommendations and approvals go smoothly, Connecticut will begin administration of COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 through 11 on Thursday, Nov. 4
If approved where can my child get vaccinated?
Children and families will have many options for where to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including:
- Pediatricians: Hundreds of pediatricians will be administering COVID-19 vaccines across the State of Connecticut. However, not all pediatricians will have the COVID-19 vaccine, so if your child’s provider doesn’t offer the COVID-19 vaccine, please refer to one of the other options provided.
- Pharmacies: There will be hundreds of pharmacy locations that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children, including many CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, and other pharmacy chains across the state as well as independent pharmacies. Pharmacies provide a safe, convenient, and easy location to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Pharmacies have rolled out specialized trainings for their pharmacist staff to provide vaccines for younger children.
- School-based clinics: The Department of Public Health and the Connecticut State Department of Education are collaborating to offer on-site clinics at schools across the State of Connecticut. These will either be led by school-based health centers or special mobile teams that are specifically trained to offer vaccines for younger children. Information about such clinics will be provided by schools or districts directly.
- Other locations: In addition to the above, several health systems and local health departments will be offering COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5–11.
The COVID-19 vaccine remains our greatest weapon against this deadly virus, and the expected approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 5–11 marks a major step forward. An authorized vaccine for nearly all school-aged children will help keep schools open and safe.
Please utilize the button below to learn more about the COVID vaccine for children, and following its anticipated approval, you can also use it to schedule an appointment.
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