How can kids aged from five to 11 get a covid-19 vaccine in Texas?

On Tuesday a board of vaccine advisors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to recommend the use of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccination for children aged between five and 11.

The decision from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was swiftly followed by an endorsement from the CDC’s director Dr Rochelle Walensky, clearing the way for vaccines to be made available for children in the United States.

A statement from the agency read: “CDC now expands vaccine recommendations to about 28 million children in the United States in this age group and allows providers to begin vaccinating them as soon as possible.”

How to get a covid vaccine for you child in Texas

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has been one of the most vocal opponents of vaccine requirements and has pushed for a legislative block on employers attempting to mandate the shots. As of 2 November, the national average of eligible adults to have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine is 67%, however the figure in Texas is just 61%.

The expansion of vaccine eligibility to include children aged five and older could help to boost the state-wide numbers and help protect residents.

On Tuesday, shortly after the CDC’s decision was announced, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed that it will post a full list of vaccine providers catering for children online on Wednesday 3 November. This will include both county health departments and pharmacies.

Individual counties employ online booking systems to oversee the vaccine distribution effort, and a full list can be found with NBC’s Find Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines.

Children now available to receive covid-19 protection

A report published on Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics outlined that children now constitute a disproportionately high number of new covid-19 cases in the US. In the week ending 28 October, children accounted for 24.2% of new transmissions but only make up 22.2% of the population.

For now Pfizer is the only coronavirus vaccine that has been cleared for use on children in the US after clinical trials showed that the shots provide 90.7% protection against symptomatic disease. Children aged 12 and younger will only receive a one-third dose of the vaccine, which will reduce the risk of potential side effects.

Immediately after the CDC’s decision was announced on Tuesday millions of extra doses of the vaccine were shipped across the country, ready for the 5-11 group.

In a statement released on Tuesday, President Biden said the availability of vaccines for children “will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others. It is a major step forward for our nation in our fight to defeat the virus.”