Children ages 5 to 11 across Los Angeles County are newly eligible for a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine, just in time for the proposed school vaccination requirement that could go into effect as soon as July 2022. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle P. Walensky affirmed the recommendation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to expand the emergency use authorization to children ages 5 to 11 across L.A. County this week. 

“Today, children between 5 and 11 years old can begin receiving the safe and effective COVID vaccine at any of the hundreds of sites in the county offering the Pfizer vaccine to children,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health. “Since last March, L.A. County has seen nearly 80,000 COVID-19 cases among children aged 5 to 11 with almost 400 children 5 to 11 hospitalized and many able to spread the virus to other people. As with other vaccines used to protect children from transmission of dangerous diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and polio, vaccines are all tested to ensure they are safe and effective for children to receive.”

On Thursday morning, Public Health sites offering the Pfizer vaccine began administering smaller doses to children ages 5 to 11-years-old, with some sites requiring appointments and some accepting walk-ins. 

Alongside this mass distribution, vaccines are also expected to be offered at 480 school-based events with a focus on schools in high-need areas, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health).

See Related: Valencia High School Identified As Outbreak Facility Following COVID-19 Case Surge

Many pharmacies and clinics countywide are also accepting appointments through their own systems. Parents are encouraged to call the site ahead of time to verify that they are vaccinating children. 

Children are required to be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult and have a signed consent form, regardless of which vaccination site they choose, according to Public Health. 

Parents are able to make an appointment using the County website.

The vaccine approval comes as a hopeful attempt to bring down the spike of coronavirus case rates within this age group, according to Public Health. 

In mid-October, 12 percent of L.A. County cases were identified in children ages 5 to 11, according to Public Health.

“This is the time — before the holidays, and before cooler weather leads to a rise in viral transmission — for unvaccinated people to get their vaccines, and those eligible for boosters, to get their additional dose,” Ferrer said.

On Thursday, Public Health confirmed 22 new deaths and 1,605 new cases of COVID-19. The number of cases today reflects 476 backlogged positive tests from one lab with episode dates of these cases ranging from October 21 – October 27, 2021, according to Public Health. 

See Related: California Students Required To Get Vaccinated, To Affect Santa Clarita Schools

Of the 22 new deaths reported today, six people who died were over the age of 80, nine were between the ages of 65 and 79, two were between the ages of 50 and 64, and five were between the ages of 30 and 49, according to Public Health. 

To date, Public Health has identified 1,496,593 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,683 deaths.

As of Thursday, Nov. 4, 36,328 cumulative cases have been reported in the Santa Clarita Valley since March of 2020, according to Public Health. These cases include:

• 27,665 in the City of Santa Clarita*
• 74 in the unincorporated areas of Bouquet Canyon
• 1,184 in the unincorporated areas of Canyon Country
• 4,540 in Castaic*
• 69 in the unincorporated areas of Newhall
• 5 in Placerita Canyon
• 22 in San Francisquito/Bouquet Canyon
• 24 in unincorporated Sand Canyon
• 167 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus
• 53 in the unincorporated areas of Saugus/Canyon Country
• 1,789 in Stevenson Ranch
• 435 in the unincorporated areas of Val Verde
• 301 in the unincorporated areas of Valencia

There are 653 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 25 percent of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for more than 9,086,000 individuals with 15 percent of people testing positive. Today’s test positivity rate is 1.2 percent, according to Public Health officials.

Nearly 53,000 booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered across L.A. County over the weekend between Friday, Oct. 29 and Sunday, Oct. 31. As of Oct. 31, nearly 610,000 additional or booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Los Angeles County residents.

Anyone five years and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed at all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

Vaccine providers across Los Angeles County are also administering boosters for all three FDA-approved vaccines; Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. People eligible for boosters include adults of any age who received their first Johnson & Johnson dose at least two months ago, and people who got the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and are 65-plus years old or are over 18 and live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.

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