COVID-19 Vaccine Update for Children Ages 5 to 11

Published on November 04, 2021

Executive News Item

Wayne County, Mich. – The Wayne County Health Department has already received their first supply of Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) COVID-19 pediatric vaccines, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the November 2nd recommendation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for Emergency Use Authorization.

Some Wayne County Public Health COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics will begin to administer vaccinations today. The County urges parents to get their children vaccinated as the vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19. "Over the past several months, we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of school-aged children being impacted by COVID-19," said Melita Jordan, Director of Health, Human and Veteran Services. "We're asking that everyone do their part to protect our communities and help reduce the continued spread of COVID-19."

To date 49% of children in Wayne County ages 12 to 15 have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (State of Michigan COVID-19 Dashboard).

Why should children get the vaccine?

  • In the United States, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen 240% since July in wake of the Delta Variant
  • Children can transmit the virus to adults at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, like people who are elderly or immunocompromised
  • In Michigan, there have been more than 201,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in those age 19 and younger
  • In Michigan, more than 450 children under the age of 12 become infected with the virus each day
  • As of November 4, 2021, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Out-Wayne County is 10.5%, which is categorized as "High Risk"
  • Data from the FDA and CDC show that children 5 to 11 years of age account for approximately 9% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. overall, and approximately 40% of pediatric cases
  • COVID-19 has infected 1.9 million children ages 5 to 11 nationwide and hospitalized 8,300
  • 146 children have died, and over 5,000 have developed Multisystem Inflammatory Disorder or MIS-C

The Pfizer vaccine is administered at one-third the amount of the adult dosage for younger children.

Specifically, this two-dose regimen of 10 µg is administered 21 days apart, which is a smaller dose than the 30 µg dose used for people 12 and older. Pfizer's data showed that the lower dose was more than 90% effective at preventing symptomatic infection in young children. Pediatric vaccines are manufactured in different packaging than the adult doses to ensure your child receives the correct dosing.

Young children will generally experience similar types of side effects from COVID-19 vaccines as teens and adults — but likely with less severity. The most commonly reported side effects, typically lasting one to three days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever, and joint pain. With the exception of pain at the injection site, more children reported these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose.

To obtain a COVID-19 Pediatric Vaccination:

  • Call 1-866-610-3885 to confirm which site closest to you has pediatric doses and to schedule an appointment. An appointment is not necessary (walk-ins are welcome).
  • In-home vaccination appointments are also available by calling 1-866-610-3885

For list of Wayne County Public Health COVID-19 vaccinations sites that are currently administering pediatric doses, please visit the Vaccine Information page.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Update for Children Ages 5 to 11(PDF, 205KB)

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