PA Officials Address Vaccine Safety For Children [Watch Live]

PENNSYVLANIA — With vaccine hesitancy still lingering and some concerned about the effects of the COVID-19 shot on young children, health officials in Pennsylvania are organizing a special online event Friday afternoon.

The state's physician general, Dr. Denise Johnson, will be joined by numerous other pediatricians Friday for a virtual conversation addressing the safety of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. The shot, which contains a third of the medicine of the vaccine approved for ages 12 and up, was approved for children ages 5 to 11 last week.

"This is the latest discussion in the Vax Facts series which aims to provide Pennsylvanians with relevant and accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine," organizers said.

The event is titled "Vax Facts: Facts About Pediatric Vaccines." It will be held on Facebook Live at the Pennsylvania Department of Health's page at 2 p.m. A link to the livestream will also be provided below once it goes live.

RELATED: 18K PA Kids Given First Dose Of COVID Vaccine So Far

Nearly 19,000 children in the 5 to 11 age group had already received their vaccine as of earlier this week.

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.

Find a vaccine provider near you here.