GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hospitals, health departments, and pediatricians in the Triad are preparing to administer the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine to children 5-11 years old. The vaccine will be rolled out in three different "waves" by the federal government.
On Tuesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) sent a letter to pediatric COVID-19 vaccination providers asking if they would like to be part of 'Wave 1' of immunizations for children ages 5-11 years old. This included family COVID-19 vaccination centers or a mass vaccination site, local health departments, or "highly engaged providers with a high pediatric vaccine administration rate." Providers were expected to respond by Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
The Forsyth County Department of Public Health says it will be part of the first wave. Several Guilford County locations were also sent the letter, including the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services. You can view a full list of the locations that were sent the letter here.
"We will begin administering pediatric COVID vaccinations as soon as we receive guidance to do so from the NCDHHS," said Kenya Smith Godette, a spokesperson for the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services. "We are currently in the final planning phase to adequately accommodate this new vaccine group. More information will be made available in the coming weeks."
Forsyth County Health Director Joshua Swift said they will get 3900 initial doses and have about 20,000 kids five to eleven years old in the county who are expected to get the shot. He said the health department can administer 2500 doses per day, five days a week plus one Saturday per month.
“We are in a much different place than we were last January and February where there were very few providers of the vaccine in the whole state," said Swift.
Swift said they will also be looking at partnering with the school district to administer doses within schools throughout Forsyth County.
"It's slowing the spread because we know that with a lot of things, whether it’s the flu or the common cold m, a lot of times children will spread it and then the other thing is really to protect those individuals that are older, so to protect their parents, to protect their grandparents to protect the people that they come in contact with every day.”
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health both said they will be administering the vaccine to the age group, but could not confirm Wednesday if they would be part of the first wave.
Other active COVID-19 vaccine providers will be given the opportunity this week to request pediatric vaccines in Waves 2 and 3.
The pediatric Pfizer vaccine will need approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA's committee will review Pfizer's pediatric vaccine for 5-11-year-olds on October 26. NCDHHS said vaccine will not be shipped until the FDA grants Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). After the EUA approval, the vaccine cannot be administered until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also makes its recommendation and is accepted by the CDC director. The CDC's advisory committee is expected to meet on Nov. 2 - 3.
The pediatric vaccine will not require ultra-cold freezers. According to NCDHHS, it will be able to be stored in a refrigerator for up to 10 weeks.