{"id":42830,"date":"2021-11-04T13:57:57","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T19:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=42830"},"modified":"2024-07-18T13:50:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T19:50:35","slug":"covid-vaccine-for-children-5-to-11-faq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/covid-vaccine-for-children-5-to-11-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 vaccine approved for children ages 5 to 11. Get answers to your questions."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Children ages 5 to 11 can now get the COVID vaccine. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Learn more about vaccines for all ages and how to make an appointment for a free vaccine or booster shot through UCHealth.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For more information on where your child can get a COVID-19 vaccine, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

More than 28 million children ages 5 to 11 now can get COVID-19 vaccines after federal health experts<\/a><\/span> authorized the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for children on Nov. 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

The vaccines for children could be game-changers for families of school-aged kids who have been waiting months to vaccinate their children. Not only will the vaccines prevent COVID-19 illnesses in children, they also will make schools and communities safer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have taken another important step forward in our nation\u2019s fight against the virus that causes COVID-19,\u201d <\/span>Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said after endorsing the recommendations of health experts at both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs 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,\u201d Walensky said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The COVID-19 <\/span>vaccines for children 5 to 11 are both safe and highly effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn clinical trials, vaccination was found to be nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children ages 5 to 11,\u201d Walensky said during a White House press briefing on Nov. 3. \u201cThe safety of our children is of utmost importance to me, and I believe these vaccines will help us to better protect our children from COVID-19.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids, here’s everything parents need to know about COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.<\/b><\/h2>\n

When will children start receiving vaccines?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Children ages 5 to 11 will be able to get their vaccines almost immediately. That\u2019s because federal and state health officials have been distributing children\u2019s doses of the Pfizer vaccine for weeks in anticipation of the federal approval that came in early November.<\/span>
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UCHealth experts answer the most important questions about COVID-19 and kids<\/a>, including symptoms, exposure and how to keep children healthy. <\/div>\n

Clinical trials are underway now for babies and toddlers, ages 6 months to 2 years<\/a>. Vaccines for the youngest children could be approved within months.<\/p>\n

Learn more about getting free COVID-19 vaccines for children and people of all ages through UCHealth.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Find free COVID-19 vaccines for children at locations throughout Colorado<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where will children get their vaccines?<\/b><\/h2>\n

COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 are available at multiple locations from pediatricians\u2019 offices to family medicine clinics and at pharmacies, schools, children\u2019s hospitals and places like zoos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Will kids get the same dose as teens and adults?<\/b><\/h2>\n

No. The dose for children ages 5 to 11 is one-third the adult dose. The kid-sized dose is 10 micrograms compared to an adult dose of 30 micrograms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do children ages 5 to 11 need two doses of Pfizer vaccines like teens and adults?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes. Children will get two doses, 21 days apart, just like teen and adult Pfizer recipients.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard COVID-19 hasn\u2019t really affected children. Is that true?<\/b><\/h2>\n

No. In general, children haven\u2019t gotten as sick as adults who become infected with COVID-19. But the coronavirus has had profound effects on children ages 5 to 11, according to CDC data.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, in recent months, as the delta variant has driven dangerous new spikes in COVID-19 infections around the U.S., children who couldn\u2019t be vaccinated suffered a dramatic increase in cases. In recent weeks, children ages 5 to 11 were suffering nearly 11% of the total infections in the U.S. During a six-week period from late June to mid-August, COVID-19 hospitalizations among children and adolescents increased fivefold, according to CDC health experts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus far, during the pandemic, health experts have documented the following impacts on children ages 5 to 11:<\/span><\/p>\n