Nearly 1 million 5- to 11-year-olds have received their first COVID vaccine

By the end of Wednesday, the number of 5- to 11-year-olds who have received the first dose of Pfizer’s vaccine is expected to hit 900,000, reports CNN. And another 700,000 appointments have been made for the coming days at pharmacies around the country.

That update comes just one week after the vaccine was approved for the 5 to 11 age group.

While it’s a notable start, it’s still a drop in the bucket when compared against the total number of children in that age range who are now eligible for vaccination. There are roughly 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 in the U.S.

To reach those children, the White House has worked with health care officials to make the specially packaged pediatric vaccine available to tens of thousands of pediatricians, pharmacies, and community health centers. There have also been vaccination drives at mobile clinics and pop-up locations, including one at the Mall of America, which can vaccinate 1,500 kids per day. Many cities and states are also offering the jabs at schools.

Parents looking for a location they can get their young child vaccinated can visit the CDC’s vaccines.gov website to search for a nearby location that offers it.

Pfizer reports its COVID vaccine is 91% effective in kids between the ages of 5 and 11. The shots come in smaller doses and packaging and are delivered with smaller needles. A total of 15 million doses were made available in the first week of approval.

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