(AP)- Schoolchildren take the spotlight this week as the U.S. enters a new phase in COVID-19 vaccination aimed at curbing deaths, hospitalizations and more than a year of disrupted education. With authorities promising enough vaccine to protect the nation’s 28 million kids ages 5-11, pediatricians’ offices, pharmacies, hospitals and schools were poised to begin the shots after the final OK late Tuesday. Many locations planned mass vaccination events in coming days. The vaccine — one-third the dose for teens and adults — requires two shots three weeks apart. Children who get vaccinated before Thanksgiving will be fully covered by Christmas.
On Long Island COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5-11 are available at some Pediatrician’s offices, pharmacies like CVS and starting November 3rd- at a NY State Mass Vaccination site at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. NY State also plans to coordinate vaccination events with schools- saying that so far, “60 percent of all the schools of New York school districts have said that they’re willing to do the vaccinations on site”.
Photo: A vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children five to 12 years old is shown at the Viral Solutions vaccination and testing site in Decatur, Ga.,Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. The U.S. enters a new phase Wednesday in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with shots now available to millions of elementary-age children in what health officials hailed as a major breakthrough after more than 18 months of illness, hospitalizations, deaths and disrupted education.(AP Photo/Ben Gray)
