Important details on COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11

by Ari Brown, MD |  November 3rd, 2021

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Please read! COVID-19 Vaccine for kids 5-11…how do we get it?!

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control advisory panel unanimously recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 and the CDC director approved this recommendation. We know your next question: where and when can your child get it?! Please read the important content below but to cut to the chase: we will start accepting phone calls on November 9 to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

 

1. Yes, we are authorized vaccine providers and will offer it in the office to our patients only. We are thrilled to be able to participate and help get our kids protected!
2. No, we are not creating a waiting list in anticipation as it only adds more phonecalls both ways. Thank you for your understanding and do not call/email/portal message us today.
3. Yes, on NOVEMBER 9–we will begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments BY PHONE ONLY. The office opens at 8am and we anticipate a very high call volume, so again, thank you for your patience!
4. Yes, there are other vaccine providers in the area who will offer the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. Many of those providers have begun pre-booking and have limited appointments in November and December. Those include: Texas Children’s Specialty Care in Austin, Tarrytown Pharmacy, and CVS. Some school districts are also participating in vaccination efforts.

Want more details?

Info on vaccine distribution from the Texas Department of State Health Services on November 3, 2021: DSHS has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to over 900 providers in 155 Texas counties over the next week. The CDC will deliver 1,010,700 doses of the vaccine to Texas vaccine providers and 349,200 doses will be delivered to pharmacies in the federal pharmacy program to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11. More than 400,000 doses of vaccine have already arrived with 162,000 expected to arrive today, and delivery of the full amount will continue through the next week.

 

Info on the CDC Advisory Panel (ACIP) Meeting: The short version: Children ages 5-11 can and do become ill/seriously ill from COVID-19 infection. Modeling predictions suggest 600,000 fewer infections over the next four months alone if this age group gets vaccinated, dampening a resurgence and reducing school closures. This is a key reason for moving forward with vaccination now, instead of waiting say, another six months for more data. The safety and efficacy data from the Pfizer study was encouraging and no serious adverse reactions were detected.

 

Here is the FDA vaccine fact sheet.

 

From the 411 Pediatrics Team

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411 Pediatrics infections