Here’s where to find COVID-19 vaccines for children 5 to 11 in DC, Maryland and Virginia

WASHINGTON - Children 5 to 11 years-old in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia -- and across the county – are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Kid-sized doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine cleared two final hurdles Tuesday.

The vaccine — one-third the dose given to older children and adults and administered with kid-sized needles — requires two doses three weeks apart, plus two more weeks for full protection. That means children who get vaccinated before Thanksgiving will be covered by Christmas.

FIND A COVID-19 VACCINATION SITE FOR AGES 5-11 IN OUR AREA

MARYLAND

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON, D.C.

MORE:
Vaccine Administration Management System

VASE+ Vaccine Appointment Scheduling Engine

With the federal government promising enough vaccine to protect the nation’s 28 million kids in this age group, pediatricians’ offices and hospitals began inoculating children earlier this week with schools, pharmacies and other locations following suit.

Thousands of pediatricians pre-ordered doses, and Pfizer began shipments soon after the Food and Drug Administration’s decision Friday to authorize emergency use. Pfizer said it expects to make 19,000 shipments totaling about 11 million doses in the coming days, and millions more will be available to order on a weekly basis.

Authorities said they expect a smooth rollout, unlike the chaos that plagued the national one for adults nearly a year ago.

More than 6,000 vaccination clinics are being planned at schools around the country before the winter holiday break, he said.

Since the pandemic began, at least 94 children ages 5 to 11 have died from COVID-19, more than 8,300 have been hospitalized and over 5,000 have developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus. Black and Latino youngsters and those with chronic conditions are among the hardest hit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report