Federal, state government will continue to send more doses
Berkeley, California (Thursday, November 04, 2021) - Parents or guardians seeking COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5- to 11-years-old can now sign up for appointments with their pediatricians, on MyTurn or with local pharmacies.
These free vaccinations will use specific Pfizer-BioNTech doses designed and tested for these children. Walk-up sites with adult doses may not have the specific, packaged doses for children of these ages. Make an appointment to ensure a spot.
Starting with your own health care provider is likely to be the fastest way to sign up.
You can also find appointments open to the general public at the following sites:
While Kaiser, Sutter, Stanford Health and other medical providers may also vaccinate non-members, you may need to create accounts with each provider. That may take time.
If you don't get an appointment right away, don't worry. Keep checking in the days to come. The federal government will continue to send doses. Every child who is at least 5-years-old will get the shots they need.
The local demand for vaccines shows the strength of our community's dedication to fighting the spread of COVID-19. Using public health tools such as face coverings, vaccines and keeping gatherings small and outdoors reduces risk. Each vaccination decreases chances of infection and spread.
Berkeley Public Health is coordinating appointment-only vaccination clinics that are focused on underserved populations among Berkeley Unified School District families.
Get vaccinated as soon as possible
Vaccines remain the most powerful tool to fight COVID-19. These Pfizer doses designed for and tested among children 5-11 were reviewed by the FDA, the CDC and the California Department of Public Health. They are one-third the size of adult doses and are 91 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in these children.
While COVID-19 infections tend to be milder in children compared with adults, it can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death.
Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can
- Be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
- Get very sick from COVID-19
- Have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19
- Spread COVID-19 to others
Children with underlying medical conditions are more at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with children without underlying medical conditions. Children who get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can also develop serious complications like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C)-a condition where different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
With vaccinations open to everyone who is at least five years old, help spread the word about clinics or appointment links you learn about. Each person vaccinated makes all of us safer.
Links:
- COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens (CDC)
- FDA Authorization of Pfizer vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds (FDA)
