On Tuesday, November 2, the COVID-19 vaccination for children ages 5 to 11 cleared the last hurdle when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for that age group. Two ARC Pediatricians, Elizabeth C. Knapp, MD, at ARC Far West and Sunaina Suhag, MD, FAAP, at ARC East 7th, spoke to multiple media outlets about the significance of this approval.
Why is this vaccine important for children?
"This is a pediatric disease," said Dr. Knapp to the Austin American-Statesman. "There are still children in this 5 to 11 age range who have died."
"We don't want that. Now that we have an option, we can save these children and we look forward to that." Said Dr. Knapp, In speaking to FOX 7 News, "So many families who are just ready to get back to a little bit more of life as usual, to be able to see their grandparents over the holidays without worrying that they picked up a germ from school and they don't want to bring it home to the grandparents. Everybody is ready for this next step."
Vaccine availability
"With the Delta wave we saw many cases of COVID-19 among our younger kids and our adolescents even," said Dr. Suhag in an interview on CBS Austin. "It is such a sigh of relief to finally have vaccinations for our grade schoolers," Dr. Suhag continued. Austin Regional Clinic is already scheduling appointments at dozens of locations for next week. With this vaccine, Dr. Suhag said, "No child should ever die from this disease."
Schedule your COVID-19 shots for children ages 5-11 at ARC now
We have opened scheduling for the low-dose vaccine at ARC Pediatrics locations. You can schedule at MyChartARC.com or call 512-272-4636. While we have pre-ordered sufficient vaccine for our pediatric patients, we currently have limited appointment availability. We will continue to add more slots as vaccine arrives. Thank you for your understanding. Click here if you need guidance on how to get proxy access to your child's MyChart account.
Stay informed on the latest updates. Watch for announcements on our COVID-19 Care page, or follow us for the latest news on ARC social media—Facebook and Instagram.
Still have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for children?
Learn more about the science behind the kids' COVID-19 vaccine on the American Academy of Pediatrics website and on the COVID-19 Care page.