CA Rolls Out Vaccinations for Kids Aged 5 to 11

California will begin vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 immediately with 500 organizations across the state after recently receiving first shipments. This follows on the heels of the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup’s review of the federal process and conclusion that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective for children 5 years of age and older.

“Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, and they’re how we keep our kids safe – it’s time to get our children the protection they need from this deadly virus, especially as we head into the winter season,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “California is leading the nation in vaccinations with 54 million administered and 87 percent of the eligible population with at least one dose, and we’re moving swiftly to implement a robust and equitable vaccination program that will cover this newly eligible age group.”

The state was allocated 1.2 million pediatric doses from the federal government with adequate supply to vaccinate all newly eligible Californians becoming available in the coming weeks.

The state has more than 4,000 locations ready to vaccinate children ages 5-11 as supply increases, and is leveraging existing infrastructure and partnerships used to administer vaccines to teens and young adults. This includes collaborating with medical providers, local health departments, schools, community partners and others to administer vaccines safely and equitably through mobile clinics and vaccine pop-ups in the hardest-hit communities across the state.