Nov 9, 2021 3 min read

Allegheny Health Network Pediatric Institute will host three community vaccination events specifically for 5- to 11-year-olds.

The announcement come following the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children in that age group.

The first-dose clinics are by appointment only and will be for children 5 to 11 years old. No walk-ins are accepted.

Parents and guardians can schedule appointments by visiting AHN’s online scheduling portal at ahn.org/coronavirus/vaccine/schedule or accessing their MyChart accounts.

For established pediatric patients at the health system, AHN will also begin to administer the COVID-19 vaccine across its practices this week. Patients can schedule these appointments by calling their regular AHN pediatrician’s office.

The clinics will be held:

n Saturday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon at Allegheny General Hospital – Hemlock Building (320 E. North Ave. in Pittsburgh’s Northside).

n Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at AHN Pediatrics – Chartiers Office (1370 Washington Pike – Suite 107 in Bridgeville).

n Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at AHN Pediatrics – Arcadia Office (9795 Perry Highway in Wexford).

“On behalf of Allegheny Health Network, we’re strongly urging parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated as soon as it’s available to them,” said Dr. Joseph Aracri, pediatrician and chair of the AHN Pediatric Institute.

Data has shown the Pfizer vaccine to be safe and nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 in the age group.

A dose of Pfizer for young children contains one-third the amount of active ingredient compared to the adult dose.

Children would receive a second dose 21 days or more after their first shot.

Since the start of the pandemic, about 1.9 million children ages 5-11 years have been infected, about 9% of all U.S. cases. More than 8,300 have been hospitalized and 94 have died, as cited by the American Academy of Pediatrics, AHN said in a statement.

The death toll in the past year puts COVID in the top 10 causes of death for this age group.

“Although children in this age group, specifically, have proven to be extremely resilient against the COVID-19 virus, the importance of increasing vaccination rates in our communities to lessen an individual’s viral load can’t be overstated,” said Aracri. “To have our children fully vaccinated before this year’s holiday season will be critical in lessening community spread in our region and throughout the country.”