WASHINGTON (AP) – About 900,000 children ages 5 to 11 will receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first week of eligibility, the White House reported Wednesday.
Final approval of the children’s vaccines was granted on November 2 and the next day there were children already receiving the injection.
Currently some 200,000 pharmacies, clinics and doctors’ offices are offering the vaccine and the government estimates that by Wednesday night more than 900,000 children will have received their inoculation and another 700,000 in the following days.
About 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 can receive the Pfizer vaccine, which is one-third as strong as that given to adolescents and adults.
Kids who get their two doses by the end of next week will be fully inoculated by the holidays.
The government is encouraging schools to offer vaccines on their premises, in order to stimulate participation in the campaign. The White House is also asking schools to spread messages from trusted experts, such as doctors or local health officials, in order to combat misinformation.
