Beebe Healthcare offers children’s vaccines

Dozens of children ages 5-11 received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination during a Nov. 20 Beebe Healthcare clinic at Bayview Medical in Lewes.

A second dose will be administered at the same site in 21 days.

The pediatric dose, which is one-third of the adult dose, was approved Nov. 2 by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Several studies were conducted on 5,000 children ages 5-11. The vaccine was determined to be safe; no severe vaccine-related side effects were reported.

The vaccine was found to be 90 percent effective against developing symptomatic COVID-19. Side effects reported were similar to or fewer than those experienced by adults.

Side effects could include sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, chills and low-grade fevers lasting a day or two. Reducing potential side effects was one reason the dosage was lowered for those 5-11. So far across the county, about 10 percent of children ages 5-11 have been vaccinated.

There are other options for parents who couldn’t attend the clinic. The Delaware Division of Public Health has multiple standing vaccine sites throughout Delaware. Local pharmacies or a child's pediatrician may also have the pediatric vaccine, although supplies may be limited.