CHICAGO (WREX) —ÌýGovernor JB Pritzker outlined the coordinated statewide efforts to prepare for the anticipated approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 on Monday.
The governor announced the stateÌýis partnering with pediatricians, local health departments, schools, and other organizations ahead ofÌý the expected emergency-use authorization from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
Once the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for use in children ages 5-11, more than 2,200 locations and providers statewide, including Chicago, are already enrolled to provide the vaccine.Ìý
That includes more than 700 pediatric and family medicine practices, more than 700 pharmacy locations, approximately 100 urgent care locations, 112 local health departments and public health clinics, 270 federally qualified health centers, more than 200 hospitals, and dozens of rural health clinics.
Illinois is expected to receive an initial allotment of approximately 306,000 doses for the state’s youngest residents, with an additional 73,000 doses for the City of Chicago, and well over 100,000 additional doses headed to the federal government’s pharmacy partners in Illinois.
Overall, the initial allocation will amount to approximately 500,000 doses available to children in Illinois.
To make access to the pediatric vaccine as equitable as possible, the administration is also coordinating with federally qualified health centers, local health departments, and family practitioners.
IDPH is also overseeing outreach to 756 elementary school districts across the state to offer parent-approved vaccination clinics on school grounds, just as was offered to all relevant school districts when the COVID-19 vaccines were made available to 12-17-year-old students.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)-IDPH mobile vaccination teams have already conducted over 4,000 events statewide, including more than 870 school and youth events for older (12-17) students. An additional 350 vaccine clinics among older students have been planned for the coming weeks.
As vaccination rates among adults increasing, positive COVID-19 cases among children have spiked. For the week ending October 14, one in four cases nationally were children, according to theÌý.
Illinois remains a national leader in youth vaccination, with more than two-thirds of the state’s 12-17 population receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to theÌý, Illinois is currently the only state in the Midwest to hit this milestone.
“Thanks to scientists and doctors who’ve worked tirelessly for the last year, we are likely just days away from having the COVID-19 vaccine available for 1.1 million more Illinois children, ages 5 to 11,â€ÌýGov. JB Pritzker said in a news release.Ìý“As soon as the FDA and the CDC have signed off, these kid-sized doses and kid-sized needles will be shipped out to pharmacies, pediatricians and other providers across Illinois â€� and IDPH has reached out to every pediatrician in the state to enroll them in the vaccine distribution program. As a parent, you should call your pediatrician now to make sure they’ve enrolled and have ordered doses. And I will do everything in my power to continue to follow the science and keep our kids safe.â€�
To find a vaccine location near you, visitÌý.
