FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11/3/2021
Contact: Black Hawk CountyHealth Department
Phone: 319-291-2413
publichealth@blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov
Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Approved for Children Age 5-11
Black Hawk County Health Department reports that the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention ofCOVID-19 to include children ages 5-11, following approval from the U.S Food and Drug Administration.
In Black Hawk County, the vaccine for children 5 through 11years of age will initially be available through MercyOne, UnityPoint Health, and Peoples Community Health Clinic.
Residents are urged to call their child’s health care provider to schedule vaccine. Getting children vaccinated as soon as they are eligible will help make sure they’re protected this respiratory season. The Health Department is working with health partners to coordinate vaccine efforts and expect vaccine to become more widely available in the weeks to follow.
Employers are encouraged to offer employees the flexibility of time and consideration to attend to children who are eligible for vaccination.
Other key points of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine:
· The vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old is administered as a two-dose primary series, 3 weeks apart.
· The vaccine is given at a lower dose (10 micrograms or a third of a dose) than what is given to people 12 and older, and children ages 5-11 cannot receive the same dose as those age 12 and older.
· The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children ages 5-11 who received vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected.
· Immune response in this age group has been comparable to those ages 16-25. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19.
· Over 11 million children and teens age 12-17 have already gotten vaccinated against COVID-19.
This announcement is coming at an exciting time as holidays and winter are approaching. “We want everyone to enjoy their family celebrations, as well as be better equipped to face the virus during the cold winter season,” said Dr. Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye, Black Hawk County Public Health Director. “Vaccination means less worry about having to miss out on these activities due to concerns of COVID-19 exposure and is the best way to protect yourself, your family and friends.”
For information related toCOVID-19, visit https://www.bhcpublichealth.org/ and follow us on Facebook (@BlackHawkCountyHealthDepartment)and Twitter (@BHCHD). Additionally, you can subscribe to our Notify Me tool that includes weekly COVID-19 updates.
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