Richmond - Henrico Health Districts ready for under 5 year old COVID-19 vaccine rollout

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Pfizer is moving forward with plans for the six-month to 5-year-old vaccine. If approved, shots could be available by the end of next month.

Locally, Richmond - Henrico Health Districts say it will be ready for that rollout when the time comes.

“So a lot of steps that need to be done yet. So we’re still early in the game. But you and others have done this half a dozen times already; we know this can move pretty quickly once the ball is rolling,” said Dr. Melissa Virary, Richmond - Henrico Health Districts.

Children under 5 are the only group that remains ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccination.

Pfizer has been testing three microgram doses for that age group. Kids 5 to 11 have been authorized to receive 10 microgram doses, while everyone ages 12 and up receives 30 microgram doses.

“Which was chosen to really try to get the best immunological benefit and minimizing any potential for side effects,” said Dr. Viray.

In the Richmond - Henrico area, if approved, more than 26,000 children would become eligible.

And when that happens, health leaders say parents seeking out a vaccine should first check with their pediatrician or a neighborhood pharmacy for an appointment.

“Certainly we did see that pediatricians were able to step up to the plate when it came to our 5-11 year olds. And so we’re hoping that they may be with our pharmacies and certainly us at the health department to some degree will all be able to come together,” said Dr. Viray.

The FDA is expected to sign off on three doses for kids under 5 eventually, but regulators believe two doses in the meantime should provide enough protection.

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