State and Chicago-area health officials said Wednesday they will adopt federal recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old, with initial shipments of doses already being received by providers. [Health News Illinois 11.4.2021]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday authorized the vaccine for use in the age group, with a smaller dose to be administered three weeks apart.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said they have already received 30,000 doses.

“This is great news for our children and our families, and a decision that I know parents have been waiting for,” she said. “We have been planning our roll out for weeks ... and vaccinations can begin right away.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health previously said it expects to receive an initial shipment of 500,000 doses, with nearly 306,000 of the initial doses going to the state, 73,000 to the city of Chicago and over 100,000 to the federal government’s pharmacy partners.

Approximately 2,200 pediatric providers in Illinois have enrolled in the state’s immunization registry and can administer the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients, the agency said in a statement. Work also continues with schools to set up vaccination clinics and more than 1,200 youth vaccination events have been held or are scheduled.

“We need as many people as possible, including children, to be vaccinated to stop the spread of the virus and end this pandemic,’ said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

Chicago’s in-home vaccination program will begin offering pediatric vaccination for all eligible children starting Nov. 15.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,746 new COVID-19 cases and 41 deaths on Wednesday.

The new cases bring the state’s total to 1,705,777, while the death toll is 25,898.

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