NORFOLK, Va. — Children ages 5 to 11 are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, just days after the CDC gave Pfizer the green light to begin distribution.
The Virginia Health Department said it's shipping 377,000 pediatric doses to facilities across the state, including doctor's offices, pharmacies, and community vaccination centers.
VDH Vaccine Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said school divisions should consider hosting vaccination clinics during or after school hours to get kids vaccinated faster.
"We've really encouraged schools to do what makes the most sense for their student population and what makes the most sense for their staffing," Avula said. "There are going to be different examples all over the state."
As of Friday evening, at least two school divisions in Hampton Roads have announced plans to hold vaccination clinics for students.
Starting the week of November 8th, Virginia Beach will host a series of clinics at elementary schools across the city. Norfolk Public Schools will begin holding vaccine clinics at their schools beginning the following week.
Note that the shots are just for the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines aren't authorized for kids yet, but that could change in the future.
Moderna has submitted data to the FDA to get Emergency Use Authorization for ages 12 to 17, has and plans to do the same for ages 6 to 11 soon.
Norfolk Public Schools
Norfolk Public Schools' clinics will run from November 15 through November 19. Staff from Peoples Pharmacy, the Hague Pharmacy, and Bayview SRC Pharmacy will administer the shots, stopping by up to eight schools per day.
The clinics will return to administer second doses from December 6 through December 10.
Signed consent forms are required from parents. The forms will come home with students in the next few days and can be returned up to and including the day of the scheduled clinic at the child’s school. Parents are not required to accompany students to the vaccine clinic but may do so if they wish.
Masks will be required at all vaccine clinics.
Click here to view the schedule or scroll through the PDF below:
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Clinics for Virginia Beach's public schools will begin on Monday, November 8, and run five days a week through Tuesday, November 23.
The school division will send out information about where to get the second dose in the coming weeks.
Click here to view the schedule or scroll through the PDF below:
Chesapeake
While Chesapeake Public Schools has not yet announced any school vaccine clinics, the Chesapeake Health Department has said one will be held on Tuesday, November 9 at Greenbrier Middle School.
The health department said free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for ages 5 and up will be available while supplies last from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The clinic is open to the public and no appointment is required. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson will be available for first, second, third, and booster doses, as needed, for anyone 12 and up. The pediatric Pfizer doses will be available for children 5 - 11 years of age.
Greenbrier Middle school is located at 1016 Greenbrier Parkway.