Dallas County received its first shipment of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 on Tuesday, November 2.
That same day, a panel of advisors for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for children ages five to eleven. The vaccine is a third of the amount given to teens and adults.
The CDC’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, endorsed the recommendation, giving Americans who fall under that age range access to the vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration has deemed the vaccine safe and effective for this age group.
The county shared details of its rollout plan during a press conference on Wednesday, November 3.
According to a report by WFAA, a small group of 5-year olds was selected to receive their first shot during the conference.
While parents are encouraged to register their kids online for the shots, county officials say that on-site registration will be allowed.
WFAA reported that Judge Clay Jenkins said the county is working with schools to make the shots convenient for parents. He said that parents could give permission for schools to take their children off-campus for the shots, or the county could also provide vaccines directly to schools to administer to children by the school nurses.
Judge Jenkins also said that county officials are trying to organize a vaccine clinic at Fair Park to administer the shots.
“At Fair Park, we’re going to keep a presence there now that the State Fair of Texas is closed. We’ll have all types of vaccines. We’ll have your pediatric vaccine, your booster, or your first or second shot,” he said, according to WFAA.