Coronavirus vaccine for kids: Hundreds of sites to come online in Massachusetts this week

Hundreds of coronavirus vaccination sites for kids will come online in Massachusetts starting Thursday in an effort to get shots into the littlest arms following authorization from public health agencies.

“The Baker-Polito Administration has worked with providers to ensure pediatric vaccines will be widely available at hundreds of locations across the Commonwealth, including pediatricians’ offices, pharmacies and local clinics. With final approval from the federal government coming last night, some sites, including many pediatricians’ offices and pharmacies, have begun administering vaccines,” read a statement from an Executive Office of Health and Human Services spokeswoman.

Hundreds of additional sites will open up and appointments will become available online starting Thursday, according to EOHHS.

“Massachusetts is the most vaccinated state in America and the Administration is committed to making sure every family has convenient access to these free, safe, and effective vaccines,” the spokeswoman said.

Pfizer vaccines for children ages 5-11 were authorized for use Tuesday night and some parents got their child vaccinated as soon as Wednesday. Pfizer’s pediatric coronavirus vaccine is one-third the size of the adult dose and was shown to be 91% effective in clinical trials. The two-dose series is taken three weeks apart just like the adult shots.

A vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children five to 12 years old is shown at the Viral Solutions vaccination and testing site in Decatur, Ga.,Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. The U.S. enters a new phase Wednesday in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with shots now available to millions of elementary-age children in what health officials hailed as a major breakthrough after more than 18 months of illness, hospitalizations, deaths and disrupted education.(AP Photo/Ben Gray)

The Pfizer shot is currently the only coronavirus vaccine available for young children.

President Joe Biden said in a speech Wednesday, “For parents all over this country, this is a day of relief and celebration after almost 18 months of anxious worrying every time your child had a sniffle or started to cough.”

Biden said the country has already secured enough vaccine supply for every child ages 5-11 in the United States, which is about 28 million kids.

Thousands of pediatricians across the nation preordered doses, and Pfizer began shipments soon after the Food and Drug Administration’s decision Friday to authorize emergency use.

Pfizer said it expects to make 19,000 shipments totaling about 11 million doses in the coming weeks, and millions more will be available to order on a weekly basis.

Authorities said they expect a smooth rollout, unlike the chaos that plagued the national one for adults nearly a year ago.

Walgreens announced it will begin administering Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine starting Saturday nationwide, and started taking appointments on Wednesday.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3CJbBLb