Long Beach will offer the COVID-19 vaccine to kids 5-11 beginning Friday

The Long Beach Health Department volition statesman administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children 5 to 11 years aged connected Friday, Nov. 5.

The metropolis made the announcement connected Tuesday evening, Nov. 2, the aforesaid time the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed giving the Pfizer vaccine to that property group. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer changeable for exigency usage successful children past week, albeit astatine a 3rd of the regular dose adults and teens receive.

“Giving parents the quality to vaccinate their children is simply a immense measurement towards defeating this pandemic,” Mayor Robert Garcia said successful a statement. “Now everyone 5 and older is capable to person the vaccine and that’s 93% of Long Beach’s full population. It’s clip to extremity this wellness crisis.”

The vaccines for those 5 to 11, which volition beryllium astatine the little dose the FDA OK’d, volition person antithetic packaging, the city’s connection said.

Those successful that property radical volition inactive person 2 doses wrong 3 weeks, the connection added.

Those ages 5 to 11 tin person a vaccine astatine the pursuing city-run vaccine sites:

• Houghton Park, 6301 N. Myrtle Ave., from 1 to 5 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. connected Saturdays.
• Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus, connected Orange Avenue astatine Pacific Coast Highway, from 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. connected Saturdays.
• Long Beach City College Veterans Stadium, 5000 E. Lew Davis St., Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m.
• Cabrillo High School, 2001 Santa Fe Ave., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. connected Saturdays

“The 2 champion things parents tin do,” City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis said successful a statement, “is vaccinate children who are aged capable to person the vaccine, and get vaccinated themselves.”

Everyone nether the property of 18 volition request a consent from a genitor oregon guardian to person the shot. That signifier is disposable online. Parents tin sojourn myturn.ca.gov oregon telephone 562-570-4636 to marque an assignment for their youngsters opening Thursday. You tin besides sojourn longbeach.gov/vaxlb for much information.

The metropolis estimates determination are 43,900 children successful the 5-to-11 property scope surviving successful Long Beach. This property radical tin inactive declaration and transmit the microorganism and besides tin go earnestly ill, according to the Health Department.

So far, 3,553 children successful that property scope person been infected with COVID-19 successful Long Beach, and 5 person been hospitalized arsenic a result, the metropolis said.

Since exigency usage was authorized for children astatine slightest 12 years old, 70% of residents successful that property radical person been vaccinated, according to metropolis wellness information from Monday, Nov. 1.

Pfizer tested its vaccine connected 4,600 children successful a objective trial, according to the Associated Press, with 3,100 of those receiving the shots and others a placebo. The proceedings reported nary deaths oregon bosom inflammation, but, the AP reported, CDC officials said those uncommon broadside effects would not beryllium expected successful a proceedings that size.

In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced all schoolchildren successful the authorities would request to get vaccinated successful bid to be in-person classes. Right now, the vaccine is lone authorized for exigency usage successful children 5 to 11 and teenagers 12 to 15. Newsom’s mandate would lone spell into effect once the vaccine is afloat authorized for those property groups.

Long Beach, meanwhile, volition unfastened new vaccine clinics for residents to get their booster shots this week.