We are expecting a lot of information in the next 2 weeks regarding COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5-11 years. The FDA will be reviewing the Pfizer application this week and the CDC is expected to meet and release recommendations on Nov. 2nd and 3rd. It is difficult to say anything with certainty prior to that, but everything we have seen so far indicates that the vaccine will be highly effective and very safe in that age group. Which should be great news to any parent eager to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.
Wallingford has done an excellent job overall with vaccination, with rates ahead of the state as a whole for eligible age groups. Many families have already begun to ask how the vaccination program will roll out for younger children, but most of the organizations involved are reluctant to say much publicly in advance of the vaccine approval. So stay tuned! However, we do know several things are in the works.
First, the local health departments in Wallingford, Meriden, and Cheshire are all planning public clinics in November using school locations where parents can bring their children to get vaccinated. We will share those dates as soon as we can. Also, Yale New Haven is launching a major pediatric vaccination campaign at several locations, including the Devine Street facility in North Haven. They expect families will be able to begin booking appointments through their website as soon as the day following FDA approval. Dr. Cohen (remember Dr Cohen?) at Choate Rosemary Hall is also planning vaccination clinics on their Wallingford campus next month which will be made available to our families, although the specific dates have not yet been determined. And the state has allocated a large portion of pediatric vaccine to commercial pharmacies, so while they have not made their plans public, we expect them to be distributing vaccine as well.
It will likely be several months yet before the vaccine is available for us to distribute in our office, but we anticipate many options will be available to our patients once the approval process is complete. We will keep everyone updated as more information becomes available.