LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
The Biden Administration is gearing up to vaccinate all children ages 5 to 11 against COVID-19 — once federal regulators give the green light to drop the eligibility age.
Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer says her team is ready.
"I do feel very confident that once we get the CDC approval — I think the earliest that might happen is November 4 or 5 — we'll be able to immediately start vaccinating children 5 to 11," she told KPCC in an interview.
There are about 900,000 kids in this age group across L.A. County, and positive cases among them account for about 6% of total infections countywide.
Ferrer says that's why it's "absolutely appropriate" to get started with vaccinations as soon as possible, once approved.
Dosage for this group will be lower than that for teens and adults by about one-third: 10 micrograms for kids 5-to-11, compared to 30 micrograms for those 12 and older.
Ferrer also noted there will be special packaging for the younger kids' vaccines to ensure the correct dosage is administered.
