Summary

King County announced that availability of COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five- to eleven-years-old will begin this week at some pediatrician offices, community clinics, and vaccine partnership sites throughout the region, following federal authorization for this age group. The vaccine now authorized for younger children will drive down the risk of COVID-19 for kids and will help prevent transmission to family members and older adults in children’s lives.

Story

King County and the City of Seattle are activating their vaccination plans for children ages 5-11 through pediatricians’ offices, school clinics, King County vaccination partnership sites, and some retail pharmacies this week, following yesterday's recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Pfizer vaccine for this age group.

This action follows the FDA granting emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for this age group last week. Independent panels of vaccine experts found the vaccine to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19 and no serious safety concerns were identified.

Public Health continues to focus efforts to ensure access to vaccine in south King County, where impacts of COVID-19 have been the greatest.

The initial local allocation of these doses in the first few weeks may not be enough to meet the initial expected demand from all families. Public Health expects enough doses in the weeks ahead to ensure vaccination will be available for every child across King County. There are approximately 183,000 children ages five to eleven in King County.

“With nearly 90% of eligible King County residents being vaccinated - and most of them fully vaccinated - it’s a critical moment to ensure that children are protected from the virus, keeping kids, families, and teachers safe,” said Executive Constantine. “Our equitable approach to vaccine distribution has never been more critical to the health of our community, as we ensure children in areas hit hardest by the virus will be able to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

“Seattle has led the way on COVID-19 with the fewest cases, hospitalizations, and deaths of any major U.S. city because we followed the science. Now, the science is clear that vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 among children 5-11 and will help keep them, their families, teachers, and classmates safe,” said Mayor Durkan. “Seattle has achieved some of the highest rates of vaccinations in the country, and with our city sites and partnerships, we are ready to vaccinate our kids as we enter the holiday season.”

“It’s great news that COVID-19 vaccine for kids is starting to arrive in our community. In this initial phase, when vaccine supply will be limited, we’re taking an equitable approach by prioritizing vaccine for providers in south King County where impacts from COVID-19 have been greatest,” said Dennis Worsham, Interim Director for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “As more vaccine becomes available, families will have more access to vaccine at some pediatrician’s offices and clinics, through school vaccination events, pharmacies, and at vaccination sites currently offering vaccine for teens and adults.”

Vaccination provides the best protection for both kids and the community as a whole. To date, 83% of eligible residents in King County ages 12 and older have completed their vaccine series.

“A COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11-year-olds will allow these young people to take advantage of the most important prevention measure - one that older children and adults have already benefitted from,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County. “We’re still learning about the impact of long COVID on children, and we know children can spread COVID-19 to others including adults who may be vulnerable to severe outcomes. For these reasons, along with the strong safety record of the vaccine in older children and adults, we look forward to ensuring access to the pediatric vaccine as soon as possible.”

Availability of vaccine for kids

Incidence of COVID-19 in many parts of south King County has been nearly twice as high compared to the county average. Therefore, Public Health has been working with Washington State Department of Health, pediatricians’ offices, and family clinics to prioritize fulfilling vaccine requests from south King County providers. Not all providers have the staffing and storage to be able to offer vaccine. Therefore, vaccine will also be available at:

• School clinics: Public Health is working with school districts to set up clinics with vaccine providers. Families should look for messaging from their school or school district in the weeks to come.
• King County’s vaccine partnership sites throughout the county
• Some retail pharmacies

Registration Information

Currently, both vaccine supply and appointments are limited. It may take time before additional appointments are available due to anticipated high demand. This will get easier as the vaccine supply increases.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to visit Vaccine Locator for information on where to access vaccine.

Visit Getting Vaccinated in King County for details on the vaccine for kids and vaccination sties.

Formulation and allocation of vaccine

The Pfizer vaccine is specially formulated for children at 10 micrograms per dose, instead of 30 micrograms for teens and adults. Doctors and nurses will receive bottles with orange tops to ensure they have the appropriate vaccine to give to younger kids. The vaccine consists of two doses given three weeks apart. COVID-19 vaccine is always free.

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is the lead agency for vaccine allocation and distribution across the state. Public Health’s focus is to advise DOH on distribution plans to address areas of the county with highest burdens of disease and less access to other healthcare systems currently providing vaccine.

Vaccination efforts to-date and booster doses

Over 1.6 million people in King County have completed their vaccine series. Currently, 83% of eligible residents ages 12 and older have completed their vaccine series. In addition, booster shots are available.

All people 18+ who received the J&J vaccine are eligible for a booster dose two months after their initial vaccination. The CDC allows people to choose a different vaccine for their booster if they have a different preference. In addition, the following groups of people are eligible for a booster dose six months after completing the primary Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series:

• Those 65 and older
• Those 18 – 64 who live in long-term care settings
• Those 18 – 64 who have underlying medical conditions
• Those 18 – 64 who work or live in high-risk settings

Relevant links

• Getting Vaccinated in King County
• Washington Department of Health Vaccine Locator
• CDC Guidance - COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots

Quotes

With nearly 90% of eligible King County residents being vaccinated - and most of them fully vaccinated - it’s a critical moment to ensure that children are protected from the virus, keeping kids, families, and teachers safe. Our equitable approach to vaccine distribution has never been more critical to the health of our community, as we ensure children in areas hit hardest by the virus will be able to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Seattle has led the way on COVID-19 with the fewest cases, hospitalizations, and deaths of any major U.S. city because we followed the science. Now, the science is clear that vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 among children 5-11 and will help keep them, their families, teachers, and classmates safe. Seattle has achieved some of the highest rates of vaccinations in the country, and with our city sites and partnerships, we are ready to vaccinate our kids as we enter the holiday season..

It’s great news that COVID-19 vaccine for kids is starting to arrive in our community. In this initial phase, when vaccine supply will be limited, we’re taking an equitable approach by prioritizing vaccine for providers in south King County where impacts from COVID-19 have been greatest. As more vaccine becomes available, families will have more access to vaccine at some pediatrician’s offices and clinics, through school vaccination events, pharmacies, and at vaccination sites currently offering vaccine for teens and adults.

A COVID-19 vaccine for 5-11-year-olds will allow these young people to take advantage of the most important prevention measure - one that older children and adults have already benefitted from. We’re still learning about the impact of long COVID on children, and we know children can spread COVID-19 to others including adults who may be vulnerable to severe outcomes. For these reasons, along with the strong safety record of the vaccine in older children and adults, we look forward to ensuring access to the pediatric vaccine as soon as possible.

For more information, contact:

Public Information Officer, Public Health