Yes, It’s Time to Vaccinate Your 5–11 Kid Against Covid-19
Why I scheduled an appointment for this safe and effective kid vaccine
Last night, with the help of a Vaccine Hunters group on Facebook, I found parenting gold: an actual available appointment for a Covid-19 shot for my 7-year-old. I immediately booked the appointment, for this weekend at a mass vaccination event.
I could scarcely believe the appointment was real, as a minute after I signed up for it, the website told me all available appointments were filled. Meanwhile, every pharmacy website tells me the same thing: my under-12-year-old isn’t eligible yet.*
But, parents, our kids (age 5 and up) ARE eligible!
Yesterday, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for ages 5–11, after a unanimous vote from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The ACIP is a group of medical and public health experts that develops recommendations on how to use vaccines to control diseases in the United States. I listened live as these experts endorsed the pediatric Covid vaccine, saying they couldn’t wait for their own young children and grandchildren to receive it.