COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5 to 11 are now available. Here's what you need to know.

Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union
·5 min read
Pharmacist A.J. Oliver gives Royce Harvison, 8, her pediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday at Panama Pharmacy a few days after the shots were approved for ages 5 to 11."As adults, we were very hesitant to get the vaccine so we waited a while but we saw friends and family being affected and it became very real," her mother, Crystal Turner, said.

On Nov. 2, a COVID-19 vaccine for young children received federal approval. Within a few days, Northeast Florida pharmacies began offering the first shots and other entities will begin this week.

Here's what you need to know:

Coronavirus: Pharmacies, Duval County Public Schools to offer new COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 to 11

CDC recommends Pfizer vaccine:COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11, shots expected to roll out this week

Who can get the shot?

The federal approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Ages 12 and up were already eligible; now up to 28 million younger children are eligible nationwide.

What is the dosage?

The vaccine for young children is one-third the dose of the vaccine for ages 12 and up. About 425 million full doses have been administered in the United States so far. The children's vaccine will be delivered in two shots at least three weeks apart.

What does it mean?

In children, the vaccine limits severe illness and death from the coronavirus, just like it does in adults, according to the CDC. Since the start of the pandemic, 94 American children ages 5 to 11 have died from the coronavirus and about 8,300 have been hospitalized, according to the agency.

In clinical trials, the vaccination was found to be nearly 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 among children ages 5 to 11, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. Vaccine side effects were mild, the most common a sore arm, she said.

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Where can my child get a COVID-19 vaccine?

For locations in your area, go to vaccines.gov. Many pediatricians and primary care doctors will have the vaccine this week or in the coming weeks. Also, multiple pharmacies and grocers are now offering the vaccine:

• Walgreens: walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid/19/landing or call 1-800-Walgreens.

• CVS: cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine?icid=cvs-home-hero1-link1-covid19-vaccine.

• Publix: publix.com/covid-vaccine.

• Winn-Dixie: winndixie.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine.

• Walmart and Sam's Club: walmart.com/cp/flu-shots-immunizations/1228302, samsclub.com/pharmacy

• Harveys: harveyssupermarkets.com/pharmacy/covid-vaccine

• Panama Pharmacy: panamarx.com.

Upcoming, Duval County Public Schools will host four child vaccination clinics 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday. Parents must sign a consent form. Forms can be downloaded at teamduval.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/DOH-Screening-and-Consent-Form-102521-final.pdf but will be available at the events:

• First Coast High School, 590 Duval Station Road

• Riverside High School, 1200 S. McDuff Ave.

• Springfield Middle School, 2034 Hubbard St.

• Landmark Middle School, 101 N. Kernan Blvd.

The second vaccine dose will be available at the same school sites 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 4. Another parent consent form will be required.

The UF Health Jacksonville's family medicine and pediatrician offices are expected to receive the vaccine in the coming weeks, according to a spokesman. The Duval County Health Department is expected to offer the vaccine for ages 5 to 11 soon as well, has not announced a schedule.

Other area hospitals said they had no plans to offer the vaccine, except to their own patients.

As part of a Day of Honor and Appreciation for veterans and COVID heroes, the Jacksonville COVID-19 Task Force will offer vaccines for ages 5 to 11, as well as vaccines for older people and booster shots for agaes 12 and up, at 2 p.m. Saturday. The event will be at James Weldon Johnson Park, 135 W. Monroe St.

Equity is key: Will children of color get vaccinated at the rates of other kids?

Parents of 11-year-olds: Here's what experts say you should do about the COVID-19 vaccine

Pharmacist A.J. Oliver preps Roy Harvison Jr., 11, for his pediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday morning at Panama Pharmacy. His mother, Crystal Turner, said she was excited to get the vaccine for her children as soon as it was available for kids under 12.
Pharmacist A.J. Oliver preps Roy Harvison Jr., 11, for his pediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday morning at Panama Pharmacy. His mother, Crystal Turner, said she was excited to get the vaccine for her children as soon as it was available for kids under 12.

How to I prepare my child to get the shot?

Here's what the CDC recommends: First, talk to your child about what to expect.

Do not give them pain relievers ahead of time and tell the doctor or nurse in advance about any allergies. During the vaccination and for 15 minutes afterward, the child should be seated or lying down to prevent fainting and related injuries, according to the CDC.

And just like with adult vaccinations, your child should stay put 15 to 30 minutes after the shot in case of allergic reaction. But severe allergic reactions are rare, according to the CDC.

Should my vaccinated child still wear a mask in school?

Yes, according to Dr. Mobeen Rathore, Wolfson Children's Hospital's chief of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology and chief of UF Health Jacksonville's Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology. The CDC also still recommends masks for children, according to a Friday update.

"Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status," according to the CDC.

On Nov. 1, Duval County Public Schools lifted its mandate that students and employees wear masks on campus. The school district cited COVID-19 rates dropping in Jacksonville.

When can children under age 5 get a vaccine?

Testing is underway on potential COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months to 5 years. They are not expected to be available before early 2022, according to news reports.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: COVID-19 vaccines for ages 5 to 11: Here's what you need to know.