Children ages 5 through 11 years old should be vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 pediatric vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended earlier this week. Other vaccines continue to undergo safety monitoring for this age group.

Evanston’s Health & Human Services Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health have both fully adopted this guidance. 

The recommendation followed an Oct. 29 Food and Drug Administration announcement authorizing the Pfizer vaccine’s emergency use for eligible children.

Vaccinated children ages 5 through 11 receive a dose roughly one-third the size of the dose for people aged 12 years and older. Children should receive their second dose three weeks after their first shot. 

The Pfizer vaccine is 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5 through 11, according to the FDA’s website. No serious side effects have been detected among the roughly 3,100 children between ages 5 and 11 who participated in a study on the vaccine’s safety.

For inoculated children in this age group, immune responses to COVID-19 were similar to the responses of recipients between 16 and 25 years old.

Children can get vaccinated at the Health & Human Services Department, through Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and at local pharmacies and pediatrician offices. District 65 will host a vaccination event open to Evanston children 5 to 11 years old on Nov. 13.

To receive notifications of upcoming vaccination events for children ages 5 to 11, residents can fill out the city’s COVID-19 Vaccine Survey for 5-11 Year Olds. Residents must complete the form separately for each child in their household. To find a local pharmacy or health center to receive a vaccine, residents can visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233.

Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @KatrinaPham_

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