SIPH gearing up to vaccinate ages 5 – 11
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - Following the Food and Drug Administration’s recent authorization of Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for ages 5 – 11, Southeastern Idaho Public Health (SIPH) announced they will be ready to begin vaccinating this age group starting next week.
The CDC recommends children and adolescents age 5 and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for children and adolescents age 5 and up, as a 2-dose series taken 3 weeks apart. The dose for children age 5-11 is one-third of the dosage of the vaccine for older adolescents and adults.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect children age 5 and older from COVID-19. COVID-19 has become one of the top 10 causes of pediatric death, and tens of thousands of children and teens have been hospitalized with COVID-19,” Southeastern Idaho Public Health Director Maggie Mann said. “While children and adolescents are typically at lower risk than adults of becoming severely ill or hospitalized from COVID-19, it is still possible.”
SIPH said the vaccine is safe and effective. Before being authorized for children, scientists and medical experts completed their review of safety and effectiveness data from clinical trials of thousands of children. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was rigorously tested and reviewed, and over 11 million adolescents ages 12-17 have already safely received the COVID-19 vaccine.
“This is an extraordinary development on our path back to normalcy — we now have more Idaho residents eligible to roll up their sleeves to protect themselves and others from this deadly disease,” Mann said. “We have been planning and preparing for this moment and are ready to begin vaccinating children ages 5 – 11. We encourage parents to get kids their shot as soon as possible, so they are fully vaccinated and protected.”
Area providers can start vaccinating as soon as possible but may be delayed while they receive inventory, finalize clinic procedures and train staff on how to give the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine. A list of providers can be found on the SIPH website at www.siphidaho.org. Parent or guardian consent is required for COVID-19 vaccination for people younger than 18 years of age.
Call your local public health office’s COVID hotline at 208-234-5875 for more information. The COVID-19 Hotline is open Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to Noon.
