Southeastern Grocers To Begin Offering Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine To Ages 5 To 11 Nov. 6

FLORIDA — Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie, will begin administering Pfizer vaccines to children ages 5 to 11 in select in-store pharmacies beginning Saturday, Nov. 6, upon receipt of vaccine supply.

The grocer is offering online appointments (preferred) and convenient walk-ups (as available) for Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to those who are qualified.

Visit Harveys Supermarket, Winn-Dixie or Fresco y Más for timely updates including available appointments, pharmacy locations, frequently asked questions and guidance.

The grocer said it is working diligently to keep appointment availability updated online in real time as additional vaccines are regularly received or due to cancellations.

SEG continues to enhance its efforts to safeguard the communities it serves by doubling vaccine incentives for customers who receive two vaccines on the same day in all Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie in-store pharmacies to further encourage vaccine administration.

To take part in the incentive, customers can walk into any SEG in-store pharmacy or make an appointment online to get a flu vaccine (free with most insurances) or COVID-19 vaccine and receive a free $10 grocery voucher. Additionally, customers who choose to receive both, or a second vaccine of their choice on the same day, will receive an additional $10 in grocery savings.

On Friday, Oct. 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11. Up until then, there were no approved COVID-19 vaccines for children age 11 and under.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distribution has begun across the nation. Retail pharmacies, pediatrician offices and other providers will be able to order the vaccine in the coming days.

The best website to check for availability and locations is vaccines.gov.

No county health departments in Florida have received the vaccine at this time. It is currently being shipped from Pfizer to providers. As the vaccine becomes available, additional announcements will be made by the Florida Department of Health.

The FDA said it based its authorization on a "thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group."

Key points for parents and caregivers from the FDA include:

• Effectiveness: Immune responses of children 5 through 11 years of age were comparable to those of individuals 16 through 25 years of age. In that study, the vaccine was 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11.
• Safety: The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet this week to discuss further clinical recommendations.

“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff and children have been waiting for this authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.”

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, three weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms).

In the U.S., COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age make up 39 percent of cases in children younger than 18 years of age.

According to the CDC, approximately 8,300 COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age resulted in hospitalization.

As of Oct. 17, 691 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. in children under 18, with 146 deaths in the 5 through 11 years age group.

“The FDA is committed to making decisions that are guided by science that the public and healthcare community can trust. We are confident in the safety, effectiveness and manufacturing data behind this authorization," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

"As part of our commitment to transparency around our decision-making, which included our public advisory committee meeting earlier last week, we have posted documents supporting our decision, and additional information detailing our evaluation of the data will be posted soon. We hope this information helps build confidence of parents who are deciding whether to have their children vaccinated," Marks said.