Milwaukee County Prepares For Child COVID-19 Vaccine Approval

MILWAUKEE, WI — Milwaukee County health officials and pharmacies are preparing for the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 as early as Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The committee will likely OK shots for children on Tuesday or Wednesday, Milwaukee County's chief health policy advisor, Dr. Ben Weston, said in a statement.

Hayat Pharmacy, with multiple locations in Milwaukee County, encouraged parents to set a tentative appointment for their young children starting Nov. 13, the pharmacy said on its website.

State health services is working with doctors and pediatricians across Wisconsin to prepare for inoculating the new population, Wisconsin Department of Health Services spokesperson Elizabeth Goodsitt told Patch.

Children under 18 made up 122,238 of COVID-19 diagnoses in Wisconsin as of Sunday, according to Wisconsin Department of Health Services data.

"Of course, kids do not live in isolation," Weston said. "They interact with their teachers, grandparents, and neighbors. Even if the risk of COVID disease in kids is low, it is not for others in their community."

COVID-19 cases have been more serious for older people than younger ones, but about 8,300 children 5 to 11 have been hospitalized as well, The Associated Press reported. About a third of children hospitalized needed intensive care, and 146 died, federal data showed.

See Also:

• CDC Panel Debates: Should All School Kids Get COVID Vaccine?
• COVID-19 Vaccine For WI Children Takes Key Step Forward