Plan To Vaccinate Children 5 To 11 Years Old Announced In Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County on Wednesday announced its strategy to vaccinate children aged 5 to 11. Coronavirus immunizations for these kids begin Friday.

"The Department of Health has put together a plan that will quickly and equitably provide vaccines for children," County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a press release.

How To Get Vaccine

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health will release appointments in two batches at aacounty.org/covidvax.

The first slots open Wednesday at 7 p.m. The second wave begins Thursday at noon. Officials hope these alternate times will give parents with different work schedules the same opportunity to register their kids.

The Friday clinics will be at the Arnold campus of Anne Arundel Community College. These sites will start accepting the younger age bracket next week:

• Baymeadow in Glen Burnie
• Pip Moyer Recreation Center in Annapolis
• Lula Scott Community Center in Shady Side

Details on their hours and operations will also be posted at aacounty.org/covidvax.

More than 30 pharmacies and 10 pediatricians' offices will also have the immunization. Large chain pharmacies will get the inoculations straight from the federal government. Anne Arundel County will share doses with these smaller distributors:

• Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC)
• Broadneck Pharmacy
• Lake Shore Drugs
• Allswell Pharmacy
• Jai Pharmacy
• Soleil Pharmacy
• Quarterfield Pharmacy

Families can contact their pediatricians directly to see if they have any doses.

The Department of Health will start immunizing interested elementary school students next week. Clinic locations and registrations for Anne Arundel County Public Schools are posted at aacps.org/covidvaccines.

"Vaccinating children will protect them against COVID and keep them safer in school and over the holidays," Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman stated in the release. "The vaccine is safe, free and effective, and is the same vaccine that many adults received. It’s a key step in getting to our new normal."

Limited Supply

The federal government sent 4,950 first doses to the Department of Health.

The agency will offer 3,850 inoculation appointments in the week of Nov. 8. Another 1,800 will follow in the week of Nov. 15. Leaders expect more timeslots to become available later in the month, pending increased federal allocations.

Officials will reserve 760 doses from their first batch for families with internet access barriers. Health ambassadors will help these groups sign up for a shot.

"We expect there to be more demand than supply for a short period of time," Pittman added. "I want to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as they are able."

Emergency-Use Authorization

The county released its plan after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency-use authorization for the Pizer-BioNTech COVID-19 inoculation in younger children last Friday.

The Pfizer shot previously only had full approval for residents 16 and up. The vaccine also had emergency-use authorization for adolescents aged 12 to 15. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson inoculations have emergency-use authorization for locals 18 and up.

Emergency-use authorization requires less FDA review than full approval, which is the golden stamp of support from regulators.

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RELATED:

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