Marin Readies To Vaccinate Young Children

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The wait to vaccinate young children is almost over.

Just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom gave final approval on the child-sized Pfizer vaccine, Marin is readying to administer jabs to 5-to 11-year-olds.

Pediatric vaccine supply is beginning to ship from manufacturers to vaccine providers across the country and the first doses arrived in Marin earlier this week.

Marin County Public Health will start administrating jabs to young children Saturday, but most providers won’t start doing so until Monday, county officials said.

“This is a historic moment in our fight against COVID-19,” Marin Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said in a statement.

“In Marin we’ve seen firsthand just how safe and effective this vaccine is, and we’re finally able to extend that protection to our children.”

The Governor’s approval of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine followed vetting and subsequent recommendations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, and California Department of Public Health.

The federal, regional, and state agencies providing authorization performed independent, in-depth reviews of evidence of both safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

All concluded that the vaccine safely and effectively lowers the chance of children getting and spreading COVID-19.

The vaccine was shown to be 90.7 percent effective at preventing symptoms of COVID-19 in clinical trials among this age group.

“As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement Tuesday.

“There are children in the second grade who have never experienced a normal school year,” Walensky said. “Pediatric vaccination has the power to help us change all of that.”

Children ages 5 to 11 will receive one-third the dose that adolescents and adults receive. The pediatric vaccine comes in different vials and packaging than the adult version, including smaller needles.

Children 5 to11 will receive two doses, three weeks apart, just like adolescents and adults.

MCPH, Kaiser Permanente, MarinHealth, Marin Community Clinics, Sutter Health, other health care providers, pharmacies, Marin County Office of Education, and schools have been working closely together to protect residents throughout the pandemic, through shared goals and coordinated operations, county officials said.

Marin’s hopes to vaccinated 75 percent of its estimated 20,000 kids aged 5-11 in Marin with their first dose within one month, county officials said.

Starting Saturday, MCPH will begin offering the pediatric vaccine on weekends at larger scale pop-up vaccination clinics for children 5-11.

Appointments for weekend clinics were expected to open by the end of the week, county officials said.

After Nov. 8, MCPH’s mobile clinics will administer the vaccine at 11 schools.

Appointments are strongly encouraged at all Marin vaccine sites because high demand is anticipated.

Appointments for most vaccination sites can be made here.

Walk-in availability is not guaranteed.

Kaiser Permanente will begin booking appointments for children ages 5-11 online on Nov. 4.

To schedule an appointment through Kaiser Permanente visit here.

Kaiser Permanente members are encouraged to make an appointment for a no-cost COVID-19 vaccination at any Marin vaccine site, school, or pharmacy most convenient for them or at KP.

In the coming days and weeks, the vaccine will be more widely available at local retail pharmacies, health care centers and other vaccine dispensing locations.

Because many sites will not be able to begin vaccinating children until next week, families are encouraged to check providers’ websites and GetVaccinatedMarin.org, MyTurn.ca.gov, or vaccines.gov for more information about which sites in the Bay Area have received their doses of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and started vaccinating children.

Marin County has the highest vaccination rate in the State of California. As of early November, 93 percent of Marin residents ages 12-17, currently the youngest age group eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, have received at least one dose.

Parents are encouraged to protect their families from COVID-19 by vaccinating their children and themselves as soon as possible.

To schedule an appointment through Marin County Public Health, visit here.