Newly eligible kids receive COVID-19 vaccine

Ten children under age 12 today became among the first in Washington state to receive an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I feel really excited that I get to do more things, and I don’t have to be as worried about the virus,” said Micah Wong, 10, who got a shot Wednesday at UW Medicine's COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Shoreline Community College.

Sarah Mitchell, 11, said she's excited to catch up with her older brothers. "It was really, really, really annoying," Sarah said. "Now I'm going to be able to do more of the things that my brothers (are allowed) to do."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week approved a low-dose formula of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. The injection carries one-third of the dose made available to Americans ages 12 and older. The pediatric version is also a two-dose series. 

UW Medicine received a shipment of 5,700 pediatric COVID-19 vaccine doses on Tuesday, with more shipments expected in the coming days.  "Families will also notice that there are going to be school popups being hosted in their communities in the coming weeks," said Cynthia Dold, the associate vice president for clinical operations at UW Medicine. 

At this time, pediatric vaccinations are now available through UW Medicine by appointment only.  Visit our vaccine page for information on scheduling an appointment.

The healthcare system has administered over 400,000 COVID-19 vaccinations since December 2020.