FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2022
Scheduling for the appointment-only vaccinations begins next week
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – The County of Santa Clara will begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 6 months to 5 years old beginning Tuesday, June 21, assuming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides final approval and vaccine supplies arrive as scheduled.
The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to review COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 6 months to 5 years at its meetings today and tomorrow, following Food and Drug Administration approval earlier this week. The County is scheduled to receive its first allocation of the special early childhood formulation vaccines on Monday, June 20, and will distribute it to designated locations.
Families can make appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations for this age group through www.sccfreevax.org. Links are provided for County sites, as well as healthcare providers and pharmacies. Online vaccination appointments will not be opened until supplies have been secured, which is not expected until the afternoon of June 20 at the earliest.
“We know how long families have been waiting for this moment. This will be our final step in being able to vaccinate everyone in our community, of every age,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of Public Health for the County of Santa Clara. “We know that many families feel great relief knowing that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available to keep their young children as safe as possible.”
There are approximately 100,000 children younger than 5 years living in Santa Clara County. In addition to the vaccines coming to the County through the State of California and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, multijurisdictional entities in our county, such as Kaiser Permanente and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, will receive doses directly from government sources.
“We are encouraged by the number of doses anticipated to arrive in the early allotments,” said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. “This will provide a wonderful start in vaccinating this very young age group. Our staff is ready to receive the vaccinations and, pending CDC approval, begin administering them.”
Due to regulations related to age requirements for vaccinations given by pharmacists, vaccinations for younger children may not be available at all participating pharmacies.
In addition to the current clinic sites available through www.sccfreevax.org, a new County-operated vaccination site will be opening in Mountain View next week.
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