SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health is preparing to make COVID-19 vaccine available to those ages 6 months through 4 years after Pfizer-BioNTech submitted data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking to amend its emergency use authorization to allow children younger than 5 years to receive its COVID-19 vaccine. The request for authorization of the first two doses of a planned three-dose primary series will still need to be reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Centers for Disease Control. More than 2,280 providers serving pediatric populations are enrolled to provide COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years is a tenth of the dose for individuals 12 years and older. It would be administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart, for all eligible individuals.
“We are looking forward to the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine for our youngest population once it is reviewed by CDC,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
Previously, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in individuals ages 5 years and older.
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