Cook County Planning Distribution Of COVID Shots For Children

COOK COUNTY, IL — With FDA approval likely in the days ahead, Cook County is planning how to most efficiently and effectively get COVID-19 shots into the arms of young children.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory group recommended the approval of Pfizer-BioNTech's application for emergency use authorization for its vaccine for children ages 5-11. As of Thursday, only children 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

In the coming days, the FDA is expected to accept the advisory group's recommendations and issue an emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11. From there, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent advisory group, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, will meet Nov. 2 and 3 to issue its own independent recommendations.

If approved, parents with young children should soon start making plans to get shots for their kids.

In Cook County, the health department is working to compile a list of places where the vaccine will be available after the CDC gives their formal recommendation, officials said in a statement.

"Vaccinating as many people as possible — including our children — is the only way to put this pandemic behind us," said Kiran Joshi, a senior county medical officer. "With the holiday season approaching, vaccinating children means we can safely celebrate with extended family and friends — something that wasn't a safe option last year."

Joshi said the department is working with local school districts and pediatricians offices to compile a list of places parents can go to seek a vaccination for their child. The county health deparment is also hosting an "Ask the Doctor" Facebook Live event on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. to answer all questions related to child vaccinations.

Officials told Patch they anticipate the vaccine will be approved for children by that date.

Once the CDC makes its recommendation, the online portal, vaccines.gov, should be updated with information about vaccine availability for the 5-11 age group and where parents can go to get a vaccine, but local health officials are also working to compile a list.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine uses the same formula and ingredients as the adult dose but comes in a smaller size to accommodate children — 10 micrograms rather than 30.

The needles will also be thinner and smaller, officials said. But, like adults, children will require two shots about 21 days apart to be fully vaccinated. A parent or guardian will likely be required to accompany the child to their vaccination appointment.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said their data showed the vaccine was "well tolerated and showed [a] robust neutralizing antibody response" in the younger age group.

Children do not usually get as sick, as often, as adults who catch the coronavirus, but hundreds of children have died from COVID-19, and thousands have been hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Across Illinois, pediatric emergency rooms have seen a "serious increase" of children with COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. Officials warned of overcrowded emergency departments ill-equipped for a surge of infections, even cautioning parents to "seek care at an emergency department [only] if their child is seriously ill."

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois' top public health official, urged parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Pfizer said the safety profile of the vaccine for children was comparable to the adult version. Potential side effects include soreness at the injection site, fatigue, fever, chills and headache. Allergic reactions are very rare, and easily treatable if they do occur.

Like its adult data, the full data from Pfizer's clinical trial for children will be available for peer review, the company said. The company expects to release data and seek emergency use authorization for children as young as 6 months old later this year, according to a news release.

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Teachers in Illinois must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing, but as yet, K-12 students have not been required to add the vaccine to the list of shots they must get to attend school. College students, for whom the vaccine is fully approved, do face such requirements.

"Measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask remain important, but vaccinating as many children as possible keeps the students, staff and everyone in school protected and healthy," said Dr. Jacqueline Korpics, a pediatrician and the medical director for the county's COVID-19 response. "We urge parents to vaccinate their children, for the health and safety of all of us."