Cook County is planning a major COVID-19 vaccine rollout for the community’s youngsters pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Cook County Department of Public Health announced the plans Thursday as the country awaits full emergency authorization to vaccinate kids age 5 to 11.
The Pfizer vaccine for kids 5 to 11 is the same as what’s given to adults except the doses are smaller, along with the needles and vials. All COVID-19 vaccines are free and don’t require insurance or government ID.
“Vaccinating as many people as possible — including our children — is the only way to put this pandemic behind us,” Kiran Joshi, co-lead and senior medical officer at Cook County public health, said in a statement. “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.”
The county’s public health department is working with school districts in suburban Cook County to provide outreach, education and on-site vaccination clinics. The department is also partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to reach out to schools and provide information on creating on-site clinics.
Cook County is also working with the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to have more pediatricians providing vaccinations in their offices.
Almost 100,000 pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine are set to be delivered to Chicago and to be distributed among more than 125 locations across the city in the first week alone after federal approval, Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner, said Tuesday. That means almost half of Chicago’s population of children ages 5 to 11 could get vaccinated soon after approval with more doses to come.
“Keeping our children safe is an important public health issue; during a pandemic, it takes on an even greater significance,” Dr. Jacqueline Korpics, pediatrician and medical director of the Cook County public health department’s COVID-19 response, said in a statement. “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. We urge parents to vaccinate their children, for the health and safety of all of us.”
