Date Picked For When Kids Age 5-11 Can Get COVID-19 Vaccine In CT

CONNECTICUT — It appears that on Nov. 4 children between the ages of 5-11 will be able to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Public Health.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Food and Drug Administration’s independent advisory group recommended that the Pfizer-BioNTech application for Emergency Use Authorization 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. The Connecticut Department of Public Health anticipates several additional authorization activities to follow shortly:

• 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

"The expected approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children 5–11 marks a major step forward in the overall COVID-19 vaccine roll-out," state health officials said in a news release. "An authorized vaccine for nearly all school-aged children will help keep schools open and safe. Although children generally have mild cases of COVID-19, some do get sick."

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"Ensuring high-rates of vaccine coverage among all school-aged children will have many benefits," state health officials said. "Vaccinated children are not required to quarantine if exposed to the virus; high rates of coverage can also help to reduce rates of transmission within school settings; and vaccinating children provides another layer of protection for their families and the broader community."

Children and families will have several 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 special 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 age 5–11.

Officials urge residents to visit ct.gov/covidvaccine to learn more. You can also use that website to search for a location near you to find a vaccine for your child.

State health officials said about 90 percent of Connecticut’s population 12-and-older has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and this "high rate of coverage is what has allowed Connecticut to stay open and stay safe."