Vaccines available locally for youth ages 5-11

With official approval for youth ages 5-11 to receive the Pfizer COVID vaccine, Wyandot County Public Health is urging the community to consider getting youth vaccinated. 

Coronavirus vaccines now are available in Wyandot County for children ages 5-11 and will be administered by Wyandot Memorial Hospital and locally from other community partners in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health’s guidelines. Wyandot County Public Health will not be offering Pfizer doses for youth or for adults at this time. 

The hospital is providing the Pfizer vaccine in the pediatric formulation Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The walk-in service is offered at the surgery entrance, and appointments outside of those hours can be scheduled as needed. A parent or guardian is required to sign consent for their child to receive the vaccine.  

Wyandot County Public Health’s Director of Nursing Jamie Crawford said the pediatric formulation is one-third of the dose that adults receive. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine pediatric formulation is a 10-microgram dose compared with the dose of 30 micrograms used in adults and adolescents 12 and older.   

The vaccine was authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Association as of Friday and was given final approval for usage by the Centers for Disease Control as of Tuesday. 

While Wyandot County Public Health will not currently be providing the vaccine for children ages 5-11, Director of Nursing Jamie Crawford urged the community to consider getting their 5- to 11-year-olds started on the vaccination process. 

“It’s very safe and effective,” Crawford said. “It takes five weeks to get the full effect of the vaccine, so, the sooner you get started the better. That way everyone’s a lot safer as they’re gathering for the holidays.” 

The pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is a two-part series given 21 days apart. It takes about five weeks for the body to mount maximum protection during this two-part series, with a two-week period after the second dose before a person is considered fully vaccinated. This means families seeking to protect their children for the winter holidays should start the vaccination process no later than Nov. 20.  

Wednesday, Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Bruce Vanderhoff reported that clinical trials among 3,100 youth participants ages 5-11 showed the vaccine was almost 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections, even amid the Delta variant. Children ages 5-11 also had more mild side effects during the clinic trial, which Crawford said could be a result of the lessened dosage in the pediatric formulation, and no serious side effects were detected, including vaccine-related myocarditis. 

According to the Ohio Department of Health, there are an estimated 997,570 Ohioans ages 5 to 11 years old, bringing the total of Ohioans eligible to be vaccinated based on age to 10,998,272, approximately 94% of the state’s population. 

To discuss eligibility, schedule appointments or for more information, call Wyandot Memorial Hospital’s COVID call line at 419-294-4991, ext. COVID (2684) or direct questions to Wyandot County Public Health at 419-294-3852. Ohioans also may find more information by visiting gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov or by calling 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) to locate a provider or make an appointment. 

The regular formulation of the Pfizer vaccine is approved for youth ages 12 to 17 and adults, and the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccine is approved for individuals 18 years of age and older. The boosters are limited to eligible individuals as determined by ODH. 

Wyandot County Public Health currently is scheduling clinics for booster and first and second doses of the vaccine as well as walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays for first and second doses. Wyandot County Public Health currently is offering the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines for individuals 18 and older. In addition to the pediatric vaccines, the hospital continues to offer first, second and booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Walk-ins are welcome and appointments may be scheduled if desired.