Poll: Vaccinations For Young Children In Grayslake

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Children ages 5 to 11 years old in Lake County and across the United States could soon begin receiving their first COVID-19 shots.

Last week, 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 to 11. Currently, only children 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDC's independent advisory committee will meet on November 2 and 3 to issue their recommendation.

If approved, vaccination clinics at doctors' offices, hospitals, pharmacies, community health centers and schools are slated to offer the smaller dose of the vaccine intended for children, with the administration adding that over 25,000 pediatric and primary care sites will also provide shots. According to the White House, the U.S. has enough vaccine for the 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11.

For some parents, it's been a long time coming. For others, the vaccine may not be their answer to combatting the spread of a virus that has now killed 25,491 people in Illinois, including 1,096 Lake County residents.

Grayslake residents, like many residents across the U.S., have strong opinions about the vaccine: some have been adamantly in support of it, eagerly awaiting their children being able to receive their shots; while others have continuously bucked public health advice to voice their disdain for the vaccine.

In recent weeks, anti-vaccination advocates have been protesting a requirement for teachers to be vaccinated in Illinois, as well as masking requirements in schools. Some parents, angered over schools' COVID-19 mitigation plans, have reportedly threatened school board members and teachers.

To date, there have been more than 73,200 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the county, which has a total population of 695,535. As of Friday, there were five outbreaks of the virus tired back to classrooms, athletic programs or buses serving Lake County students, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Outbreaks can lead to a loss in learning time for those who become sick and close contacts who are required to quarantine. In recent weeks, it led to Hampshire High School switching to virtual learning after 43 students there tested positive for the virus.

With vaccine approval on the horizon, will you plan to vaccinate your children ages 5 to 11 years old? Let us know in our unofficial and unscientific poll, which is simply meant to gauge Lake County parents' overall opinion regarding the vaccine for young children.