COVID Vaccine For Kids Under 12: Where To Get One In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — Children ages 5 to 11 are now approved to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and Pennsylvania officials say they're ready to start administering the shots immediately.

The emergency use authorization from the Centers for Disease Control means that another huge swath of the public, some 28 million children, can soon be protected against the virus. It's being welcomed by many as a boon to schools which have been seeing heightened pediatric cases due to more infectious variants of the virus, like Delta.

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“The availability of the new pediatric vaccine is great news in the fight against COVID-19,” Gov. Wolf said in a statement. “This will provide comfort for parents, teachers, pediatricians and community members across the commonwealth – knowing that we have a safe and effective way to protect more of our children from COVID-19-related illness.”

Only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children 5-11 at this point. It is slightly different from the other vaccines approved for older children and adults: only about a third of the amount of the medicine is included in the doses for children.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky said the vaccine was safe and called its approval a vital step forward in the fight against the pandemic.

"As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated," Walensky added.

Similar to what was seen in adult vaccine trials, vaccination was nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years, the CDC announcement said. In clinical trials, vaccine side effects were mild, self-limiting, and similar to those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. The most common side effect was a sore arm.

"COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history," the CDC announcement said. "Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reducing their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications. Getting your children vaccinated can help protect them against COVID-19, as well as reduce disruptions to in-person learning and activities by helping curb community transmission."

Across Pennsylvania, vaccine pre-orders for children have already been delivered to providers. More are expected in the coming days and weeks. Pediatricians, primary care physicians, large retailers, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other healthcare facilities will all help in administering doses for kids.

Schools and community organizations are also working directly with providers to create additional local vaccine clinics.

Find a vaccine provider near you here.