Preparations underway to vaccinate kids in DC region

Plans in place to vaccinate children

Many parents in the D.C. area are anxious to find out where and when their children will be able to get vaccinated.

WASHINGTON - It’s a question many parents are asking: Where and when will I be able to get my child vaccinated against COVID-19 once 5 to 11-year-olds are eligible.

Pfizer has submitted for approval for vaccinating children ages 5-11, something an FDA advisory panel will consider Tuesday.

Moderna announced Monday that their vaccine is effective for those age 6-11 as they begin the process of seeking government approval.

With approval seeming close, FOX 5 has learned that preparations are underway.

Maryland

At a news conference Monday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says they’re "completing final preparations" for vaccinating 5 to 11-year-olds.

In Maryland, 515,000 children will be eligible for the shot.

Hogan says the state’s initial order of Pfizer vaccines is 180,000.

"Doses will be available in pediatrician offices, primary care doctors offices, local health departments who are partnering in most jurisdictions with the school systems and they’re in final planning stages now of having school-based vaccine clinics for children. Pediatricians are gearing up, we continue to work very closely with them and have been talking to them weekly, really, for the last few months," said Dr. Jinlene Chan, Maryland’s Assistant Health Department Director.

Chan and Hogan say doses will go out to providers, but the Health Departments and schools are working closely together to vaccinate students.

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Montgomery County confirms to Fox 5 that their plans are nearly completed, but not yet ready for public release.

Virginia

The Virginia Department of Health says they have begun the process of pre-ordering and pre-positioning doses across the Commonwealth in preparation for approval.

Like Maryland, Virginia will be working through providers and health departments.

"The initial allocations will go toward pediatricians and other healthcare providers, Community Vaccination Centers, local health districts, and pharmacies," VDoH said in a statement.

Virginia also emphasized equitable distribution across the commonwealth, with districts also working with health departments for distribution.

FOX 5 reached out to Alexandria Public Schools to see what their plans were. ACPS says they’re working closely with its local health department and has a plan to communicate with families.

"ACPS is partnering with the Alexandria Health Department to plan for vaccination opportunities for ACPS students under the age of twelve once they become eligible and will communicate these opportunities with families.

District of Columbia

The DC Health Department did not return FOX 5's request for information as of this writing.

However, the school system had several clinics for those 12 and older to get vaccinated when they were first eligible.

The system and health department already have a close relationship as part of the Health Care Access Bureau, as laid out on the DC Health Department’s website.

This includes a list of sites, broken down by wards, where pediatric doses are administered.

If FOX 5 gets additional information from the District, we’ll update this story.