CDC Gives Final Approval For Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine To Kids Ages 5 To 11
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Younger children are now eligible to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. The CDC gave final approval Tuesday night for Pfizer's child-size COVID-19 vaccine.
Many health departments Eyewitness News spoke to have already received shipments of the one-third dose safe for children and say they have been planning not for if it will happen but when.
"We've been planned. We're ready," Jeanne E. Franklin, Chester County's public health director, said.
Health departments across the Delaware Valley are getting set to begin offering the first shot of the two-dose, one-third strength COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.
"At the health department, it will be Thursday," Franklin said.
In Pennsylvania, both Chester and Montgomery Counties will open registration on Wednesday with appointments to follow on Thursday. The focus now is the kids.
"We have added some softer tones and some videos, more kid-friendly to our operations," Franklin said.
"It is a huge milestone toward fighting this virus," Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said.
In New Jersey, Camden County has been planning for this next phase for months, hopeful to help some of those still most at risk.
"We're working closely with Cooper University Health System and we are prepared to start giving these vaccines to children on Monday," Cappelli Jr. said. "Right now, in Camden County, almost one-third of the new daily COVID cases are people age 18 and under."
In Philadelphia, the city is hosting a virtual briefing on their rollout of the vaccine for children Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Meanwhile, there is a new high-tech way to help make shots less scary for children and it could be handy as the new pediatric COVID-19 vaccine could be available as soon as Wednesday.
The orange-labeled Pfizer vaccines for younger children are being shipped to 20,000 locations.
"Over the next couple of days, several million doses will start arriving at pediatricians and family doctors' offices, pharmacies, children's hospitals, community health centers, rural health clinics and other locations," White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said.
The only problem is shots aren't so popular with most kids. An estimated 63% of children are afraid of needles and so are many parents. One program is using science, technology and superheroes to help kids overcome needle anxiety.
Nine-year-old Azariah Bannister is getting ready for his flu shot by working with Super Meg -- a chatbot. It teaches breathing and distraction techniques. Science shows the source of pain lies in the brain.
"Pain is not just about the needle going in the skin, it's about the anxieties," pediatric psychologist Jody Thomas said.
Experts say making kids feel empowered can help.
"Young kids often feel like they don't have a choice to get that poke, so as much choice as we can give them -- which arm do we want that poke in it? Which toy do you want to bring? Do you want to sit on my lap?" Thomas said.
For Azariah, he plans to use his new superpowers for the next big shot -- his COVID vaccine.
"The pandemic and it's very fatal, I don't want to get sick," Azariah said.
Doctors say the pediatric vaccine can't arrive soon enough. New numbers out Tuesday show 6.4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 and over 100,000 new cases were last month.
CBS3's Stephanie Stahl and Alicia Roberts contributed to this report.
