© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Peoria-area health care providers preparing to administer vaccines to youngest kids

Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson speaks at Thursday's regular COVID-19 media briefing.
Tim Shelley
/
WCBU
Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson speaks at Thursday's regular COVID-19 media briefing.

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines are expected to received approval for kids under age 5 soon, and the local health care system is already preparing to administer them.

"We've got to pre-order our doses for that age range, and so we are very excited to start vaccinating for it when we are able to," said Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson.

Alice Driscoll is regional director of pharmacy for UnityPoint Health. She explained why it's taken longer to get it right for kids ages 6 months to 5 years old.

"The companies had to get it right in terms of the doses that would be both efficacious and tolerable for this population, as well as safe," she said.

Driscoll said the youngest kids will receive doses of about a third of what older kids receive, and a tenth of an adult dose. This also means the younger kids will likely receive three primary doses, not two.

"With omicron starting to surge as well, we've started to see that a third booster dose is valuable in adults for offering additional protection," said Driscoll. "So they are looking at this as part of a three dose series for that population."

Driscoll said any booster shots administered would be a fourth dose.

Driscoll said the FDA is expected to review Pfizer's data on vaccines for young children on Feb. 15, as the next step in the approval process. Review by ACIP and the CDC will follow.

Hendrickson said starting Feb. 28, the health department will end its seven day a week vaccine clinic availability and shift back to an appointment-only basis. That will include appointments for the younger populations, if federal regulators have approved it by then.

Tim is the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio.