Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for Hawaii keiki ages 5-11 available immediately
COURTESY HAWAII PACIFIC HEALTH
Hawaii Pacific Health received a shipment on Monday, according to a spokeswoman, and will begin administering them 8 a.m. Wednesday at its Kapiolani Medical Center and Straub Medical Center COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Oahu.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 have arrived in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health, and vaccination providers are authorized to begin administering them immediately.
Shipments of the state’s initial order of 41,700 doses of the vaccines for children began arriving on Monday, according to DOH, with more that came in today.
The DOH said its authorization is consistent with recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 last week.
“The CDC reviewed the clinical data and determined the vaccine is safe,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char in a news release. “The Pfizer vaccine is effective in preventing severe illness and death. The vaccine will provide another important layer of protection in keeping our children and the entire community safe.”
DOH said the vaccines will be available at more than 200 locations statewide including medical facilities, community health centers, mobile clinics, pharmacies, pediatrician’s offices, and more than 130 public, private and charter schools.
Some participating schools will begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as Monday. Parents should contact their child’s school directly for more information.
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The Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 — at 10 micrograms — is one-third the dose used for adults. Two doses will be administered three weeks apart.
DOH estimates there are 119,473 children ages 5 to 11 living in Hawaii, and that the state’s initial order should be enough to provide 35% of the population with the first of two recommended vaccinations.
Parents and legal guardians are required to submit signed consent forms before anyone 17 and younger can be vaccinated, according to DOH.
Hawaii Pacific Health received a shipment on Monday, according to a spokeswoman, and will begin administering them 8 a.m. Wednesday at its Kapiolani Medical Center and Straub Medical Center COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Oahu.
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii said it will begin administering the vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 on Friday at all of its vaccination sites.
The Queen’s Health Systems plans on opening appointments for the 5-11 age group this Thursday for a Friday start. People can book appointments at covid.queens.org/vaccine or by calling 808-691-2222.
Information on where children’s vaccines are available will be updated at hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine.
