SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County will begin offing COVID-19 vaccines to children as young as 5-years-old as early as Wednesday. Over 50,000 doses are currently in Utah, with more on the way as they are delivered in waves.
READ: CDC director signs off on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11
The announcement comes as U.S. health officials gave a final signoff Tuesday to Pfizer’s kid-size COVID-19 shot, a major expansion of the nation’s vaccination campaign.
At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, a scheduling link for 5-11 year-old COVID-19 vaccine clinic appointments was emailed to every parent who pre-registered.
“That is the main goal this week is to get that all set up smoothly,” said the county's Health Director, Dr. Angela Dunn.
“The data is pretty clear that kids who are otherwise healthy will benefit from a COVID vaccine.”
Vaccinating young children is a “last ditch effort,” by health experts to calm what is expected to be a very difficult winter.
Utah was among the top states leading the country in COVID cases last week. It is fueled by a large surge that started after fall break and is expected to continue into the holidays.
“We do not see a flattening or a decline. I was surprised to hear we are fourth in the nation with growth in covid and our county being one of the highest right now within our state,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson.
The Associated Press reports millions of shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech have already been shipped to states, doctors’ offices and pharmacies, to be ready for Tuesday's decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For a child to get a COVID-19 vaccine, a parent or caregiver must be present.
Visit SaltLakeHealth.org for more information.