Starting on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, Public Health Madison & Dane County will begin administering pediatric COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11 following recent authorization for the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).
“This marks another really big step forward in our pandemic response in Dane County and across the state and the country,” said Sarah Hughes, COVID-19 Vaccine Deputy. “Nearly every school-aged child is now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine and we are thrilled to be able to provide that protection against this virus, so that kids can get back to doing the things they love while staying safe and healthy.”
Public Health will be providing pediatric doses at the vaccine clinic at the Arena at the Alliant Energy Center. The Arena clinic opened on October 7, 2021, with the capacity to provide roughly 200 booster doses per day. Starting on November 9, 2021, that capacity has expanded to be able to provide 400 pediatric doses a day, with our overall capacity at roughly 600 doses per day in that space. Capacity may change over time.
“We have been planning for this moment for months, first getting the Arena clinic off the ground to accommodate new approvals for booster doses and setting the stage for our 5-11 year olds to be able to have the space they need to get vaccinated,” said Hughes.
Pediatric appointments are required and appointments for 12 and older are strongly encouraged. Parents of children ages 5-11 can schedule a vaccine appointment at publichealthmdc.com/vax. There are a variety of other options available, including making an appointment with a healthcare provider or at a local pharmacy.
For more information about the COVID-19 in Dane County visit publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus. You can also follow @publichealthmdc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
COVID-19 Vaccine Deputy Sarah Hughes is available for interviews via Zoom from 1p-2p. Contact the email address above for arrangements.
