Washington D.C., Nov. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just hours after the federal authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old, Children’s National Hospital began to vaccinate patients in the D.C. region. In the coming weeks, Children’s National will offer thousands of shots to kids ages 5 to 11, starting with those who have the highest risk of severe COVID-19 infection and not stopping until every family seeking vaccination for their child has been able to get one.
“Just like we saw when the adult vaccine rolled out, not everyone will immediately have access to a vaccine, but I am confident that every family who wants this vaccine for their child will be able to get it within the next few weeks now that it’s authorized,” said Claire Boogaard, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of the COVID-19 Vaccine Program at Children’s National. “In the meantime, we are committed to delivering as many vaccines as safely, efficiently and equitably as possible.”
To get a jump start, the hospital has been proactively contacting patient families whose children have risk factors that make them more likely to experience severe COVID-19 infections, so that the hospital could prioritize the first appointments for these children. They are providing these in a number of the hospital’s primary and specialty care locations to ensure convenient access with providers who regular care for children with complex medical needs.
The best way for families to find a convenient location where their children can receive their COVID-19 vaccine is to go to www.vaccines.gov.
“We also want to stress that locations like a local pharmacy, health department event or school event are safe options, and families with healthy children who want a vaccine immediately may find it is faster and more convenient,” Dr. Boogaard said.
Children’s National Hospital was one of the hospitals that participated in the clinical trial for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for this newly-authorized age group. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study. Children’s National encourages all parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible.
Since the start of the pandemic, Children’s National has focused on serving the needs of families in this region. From launching the nation’s first drive-up testing site for children to vaccinating teachers to help with return to school to administering vaccines, the hospital has been proud to support the community at every step, including this latest milestone.
Media contact: media@childrensnational.org or 202-476-4500.
Video and photos from today’s vaccination rollout at Children’s National locations across the D.C. region are available for use by the media at the link below. Please credit Children’s National Hospital.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TdH0CierugmncdDVcKE-Klr43UwDS1LG
