BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday officially gave the green light to the Pfizer vaccine to administer the smaller doses for kids between the ages of 5 and 11.
It seems no one is wasting any time to get things rolling with several clinics already scheduled.
Wednesday morning, Erie County received a little more than 2,000 Pfizer doses for the age group.
"We will be organizing clinics to make sure that we have access to anybody in the community who decide not to go to their pediatrician to get that vaccine," Erie County health commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said.
The first vaccine clinic will be over at Oishei Children's Hospital on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You must pre-register your child by calling 716 858-2929, or on the state's website beginning Thursday.
Walgreens and Rite Aid are booking appointments online right now as well, but won't start give the vaccine to 5 to 11-year-olds until Saturday.
Rite Aid has partnered with Amherst Central School District to hold clinics on November 13 and December 4.
CVS is also accepting appointments and administering shots beginning on Sunday.
The Biden administration has previously said there will be plenty of doses available to vaccinate all kids in the age group across the country.
Dr. Burstein says the county is still waiting for a second order.
"We put in another order for about 1,200, and so I haven't heard back about that shipment. One of my pediatric BFFs told me that she received her doses yesterday, too, so at least people who have gotten their orders in early are receiving their doses, so I think it's probably a bit of a bottleneck because everybody is ordering them at once," Dr. Burstein said.
She says ECDOH will also have two clinics: one on November 13, and another on November 20. They will be held at three local districts, including one in the Northtowns, one in the Southtowns, and one in Buffalo.