On Wednesday, Nov. 3, Humboldt County Public Health announced that children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated. From a County Health Alert:

Nearly 10,000 Humboldt County children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine following authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Initial shipments of the pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been delivered to some local pharmacies, pediatric offices and Humboldt County Public Health. Parents seeking to vaccinate their children are encouraged to reach out to their pediatrician or a local pharmacy.

Just over 7% of the county’s total reported COVID-19 cases, or 685 cases, were among the 5 to 11 age group. Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Ian Hoffman said authorization of the vaccine for those children is another step toward ending this pandemic.

“We’ve seen cases in this age group increase over the last few months with the rise of the Delta variant, and we want to do everything we can to keep kids in school and keep them and their families healthy,” Dr. Hoffman said. “Data from the clinical trials and other recent studies have shown that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for kids, and that it reduces hospitalizations in all age groups, including kids.”

View the full release here.

Vaccine clinics for children are being planned, and appointments can now be made at MyTurn.ca.gov.