FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2021
Vaccines for children ages 5-11 will provide increased COVID-19 protection for individuals, schools, and the region
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – The County of Santa Clara is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-11 following the November 2 approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The County has been prepared to administer vaccinations as soon as the federal government provided authorization. The first vaccinations in the County for the 5-11 age group began taking place Wednesday morning. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is the only option for this newly approved age group, which numbers just over 167,000 members of our community. All children ages 5-11 who sign up for an appointment are eligible.
Parents and guardians should visit www.sccfreevax.org to sign up for an appointment or to find a convenient drop-in location. Many of the initial available appointments have already been reserved, but the County expects an increased vaccination supply in the coming weeks and additional slots should open soon. There are still plenty of vaccines for members of the public 12 and older. Vaccines for children ages 5-11 are smaller doses and specially formulated. Under federal guidelines vaccine supplies designated for older patients cannot be used for this younger age group. Families are also encouraged to check with their primary care physician or their local pharmacy to see if they are offering vaccine appointments for children as well.
“This is an important step in protecting our children and our community, providing relief for families, and creating an additional level of protection to maintain in-person learning for our schools,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Health Officer and Director of Public Health for the County of Santa Clara. “We encourage all parents with children aged 5 and older to get their children vaccinated now.”
In addition to offering vaccine appointments for children at vaccination sites operated by the County throughout the community, the County is also partnering with school districts to offer vaccination onsite at schools, particularly in the County’s most disproportionately affected communities. Approximately 80 school locations have been identified for on-site vaccinations. The first locations will open November 4th with vaccinations being provided by the County’s Mobile Vaccination Teams. As it has been throughout the pandemic, vaccinations are provided at no-cost to recipients. Health insurance is not required and there are no immigration status questions.
Vaccinations are the number one tool to prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
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