MU Health Care opens appointments for pediatric coronavirus vaccines

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

MU Health Care says it will offer COVID-19 vaccinations to kids ages five to 11 starting Nov. 10.

The FDA and CDC have now recommended Pfizer's pediatric vaccine and health care leaders are starting to make the vaccines for kids available.

Officials say MU Health Care already has several hundred pediatric doses.

MU Health Care will administer initial doses at vaccine events on Nov. 10 and Nov. 13. The health care system will then offer the pediatric coronavirus vaccines in clinic settings starting Nov. 15.

"The Pfizer vaccine for children is about a third of the dose," said Dr. Margaret Day with MU Health Care. "They're going to be an important group to have high vaccine uptake so that really our whole community is protected."

MU Health Care's vaccination events for children will be held at South Providence Medical Park in Columbia by appointment only.

"In the pediatric population, we'll probably see a mirror of you know what we first saw with adults really eager to uptake the vaccine early," Day said.

MU Health Care is working with schools and the local health department but is still considering ways to get children vaccinated.

"Reactions are very similar… it is also very common to have some aches," Day said. "Unless someone has a known anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine component, there really isn't a reason not to get the covid vaccine."

As of Thursday night, no first-dose appointments were available on the MU Health Care website for the events next week.

Second-dose appointments will be scheduled 21 days after the first dose is administered. A parent or guardian will need to sign the vaccine consent form for the child.