Hartford HealthCare begins vaccinating kids ages 5-11 after CDC OK

One of Connecticut’s largest health care networks began administering the COVID-19 vaccine to young children Tuesday night immediately after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave its final approval.

The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel voted unanimously Tuesday to allow children ages 5 to 11 access to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously in favor of the recommendation. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky gave final approval late Tuesday, hours after the panel voted.

“It is particularly significant that COVID-19 vaccines are available to children ages 5 to 11 because now nearly everyone will have access to this life-saving tool,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement Tuesday night.

“Keeping students in school has been one of my biggest priorities, and having vaccines available for more kids is an important component of this effort. I have heard from all of my public health advisors, and they are clear in their guidance — this vaccine is safe for kids and it works. I’m asking all Connecticut residents to help us continue to be a national leader in vaccines and get your children vaccinated against COVID-19 at your earliest convenience.”

Hartford HealthCare, one of the state’s largest vaccine providers, started administering doses to newly eligible children after Walensky’s approval on Tuesday night.

Yale New Haven Health on Wednesday will start scheduling pediatric COVID vaccinations, a spokesperson for the health group said.

Yale, which the state selected to lead the pediatric vaccine rollout, will provide Pfizer doses to the hundreds of pediatrician offices that are participating in the program.

“We received the pediatric doses (Tuesday) and stand ready to distribute,” said Dana Marnane, director of public relations and communications for Yale New Haven.

According to Lamont’s office, hundreds of pediatricians plan to administer the vaccine. Families can also have their children vaccinated at pharmacies and schoolbased clinics. The state Department of Public Health and the Department of Education are collaborating on the clinics. Information about specific clinics will be provided by local school districts, Lamont’s office said.

“The data is clear — the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 through 11,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said in a statement.

“We have a fantastic network of providers — including pediatricians, pharmacies, school-based clinics, and local health departments — who are ready to administer this vaccine to children across Connecticut. I encourage parents and families to protect their children and themselves.”

DPH said last week Connecticut had already ordered 100,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, formulated specially for children ages 5 to 11, with more on the way.

The vaccines for children are formulated differently than those intended for adults, with less active vaccine — 10 micrograms for kids versus 30 for adolescents and adults — meaning more doses can be obtained from every vial.

The state has estimated there are about 278,000 children between the ages of 5 and 11 in Connecticut. Many of these children attend schools, where COVID-19 cases have been declining since early September. Figures from the state show the vast majority of students testing positive for COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

The state announced Tuesday that 412 additional COVID cases had been identified in the state. Of the 15,590 additional COVID tests performed in the state, 2.64 percent were positive.

The state said 204 patients were hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection, one fewer than there were Monday.

Connecticut has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, CDC data shows. As of Tuesday, 81.3 percent of the eligible population in the state was fully vaccinated, and 91 percent had received at least one dose.

While providers prepare to vaccinate a new group of children, efforts have been underway for several weeks to provide booster shots for those eligible, including residents age 65 and older.

As of Tuesday, 11 percent of the state’s fully vaccinated population had received a booster shot. In total, more than 280,000 additional doses have been administered across Connecticut.