Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Approves

 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Use in Children 5 through 11 Years of Age

 
November 4, 2021-San Benito County, CA: On November 2, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include children 5 through 11 years of age. This approval was based on thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group.
 
Approval of the vaccine was determined based on these key points:

• Effectiveness: Immune responses of children 5 through 11 years of age were comparable to those of individuals 16 through 25 years of age. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11.

 

• Safety: The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study.

 
“As a parent and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s approval. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said Dr. George Gellert, San Benito County Health Officer. “The comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets high standards.”
 
In the U.S., COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age make up 39% of cases in individuals younger than 18 years of age. According to the CDC, approximately 8,300 COVID-19 cases in children 5 through 11 years of age resulted in hospitalization. As of October 17, 2021 - 691 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 deaths in the 5 through 11 years age group.
 
During trial studies, side effects were generally mild to moderate in severity and occurred within two days after vaccination, and most went away within one to two days. The most commonly reported side effects included sore arm, injection site redness and swelling, feeling tired, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, chills, fever, nausea and decreased appetite. The FDA and the CDC have several systems in place to continually monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and allow for the rapid detection and investigation of potential safety problems. For more information visit: vsafe.cdc.gov
 
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age is administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 micrograms) than that used for people 12 years of age and older (30 micrograms). 
Children are eligible to receive the $25 gift card promotion when they get the first dose and $200 cash for the second dose.
 
To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment please visit the State’s MyTurn vaccine appointment system at myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255 or visit a local pharmacy for appointments or walk-in availability. For more information about COVID-19 vaccine, visit covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit VaccinateALL58.com.