Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination – DeKalb County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice’s (ACIP) recommendation for the use the of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age. This follows the FDA’s authorization last Friday of the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in children 5 through 11 years of age. The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group. Today, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation for children ages 5 through 11 years to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

DeKalb County Health Department (DCHD) expects the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to be available through various providers in the community. DCHD will begin offering limited Pfizer vaccine appointments within our regularly scheduled pediatric vaccine clinics on November 10th, 15th and 17th. Beginning December 1st, we will offer additional appointments on Wednesdays and Thursdays during COVID-19 specific pediatric clinics. To schedule an appointment for your child, please call 815-748-2401. Residents seeking an appointment sooner may be able to locate one closest to their home using the options below.

DCHD recommends the following immediate actions for anyone interested in pediatric COVID-19 vaccination:

  1. Check with your child’s pediatrician or healthcare provider.
  2. Check with a local retail pharmacy.
  3. Contact DCHD to schedule a pediatric Pfizer appointment at 815-748-2401.
  4. Visit www.vaccines.gov to find a provider near you.

More information about COVID-19 vaccines for children can be found by visiting COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens | CDC.

Community members and agencies can email questions to COVID19@dekalbcounty.org . Please note, this email is not used to provide medical advice. If you have personal medical questions, please contact your healthcare provider. Community members can also sign up for the newsletter online by visiting the
DCHD website.

Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Press Release