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Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedinTopline Approximately 900,000 children aged 5 to 11 will have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of Wednesday, the White House said, suggesting early success of the kids’ vaccine rollout after the Pfizer-BioNTech shot was approved for them last week—though vaccine hesitancy remains a concern.

Nicole Fahey, of Altadena, with daughter Adeline Fahey, 6, as she receives a child’s dose of the … [+] Pfizer vaccine at Eugene A. Obregon Park on Wednesday, Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, CA.

Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Key Facts White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said at a briefing that the White House’s estimate of 900,000 vaccinations was conservative.

An additional 700,000 children have vaccination appointments scheduled, Zients said, although this number only includes pharmacies and excludes additional appointments made at places like pediatricians’ offices.

Zients predicted the pace of vaccinations will increase to “much more than 900,000” per week as the vaccine rollout gets underway, now that more shots are being delivered and more vaccination sites are getting set up.

The White House has launched a wide-ranging rollout to get children vaccinated, including partnering with the Children’s Hospital Association to run vaccine sites through 100 children’s hospitals and making the shot available at nearly 20,000 locations thus far, according to Zients.

The administration has also encouraged school districts to run their own vaccine clinics and share resources on the benefits of getting the shot with parents and students.

Big Number 28 million. That’s the total number of 5- to 11-year-olds in the U.S. who are now eligible for vaccination, according to the White House, with the 900,000 already vaccinated making up approximately 3% of that population.

Crucial Quote “Our goal, clearly, is to vaccinate as many kids as possible. This is the very beginning of the program,” Zients said, noting the vaccine rollout is “just getting up to full strength. … So, we expect more and more kids to get vaccinated across time, and 900,000 shots in arms by the end of a day is a good start.”

What We Don’t Know How many children will ultimately get the shot. Polling suggests vaccine hesitancy could be a big obstacle for getting kids vaccinated, with a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll conducted in October finding 30% of parents of children ages 5-11 will “definitely not” vaccinate their child, 5% will only do so if required and 33% plan to “wait and see.” The White House has planned an aggressive public education campaign in order to combat reluctance to the shot and inspire more children to get vaccinated, including partnering with pediatricians, who polling suggests parents are most likely to trust for vaccine information. Schools may also be more likely to impose Covid-19 vaccine mandates for students now that they’re eligible, particularly if vaccinations lag, which could inspire more children to get the shot.

Key Background The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for five- to 11-year-olds last week, allowing children to start getting the shot as early as November 3. Trial data shows the shots, which are a lower dose than those given to adults, are safe and 90.7% effective at preventing Covid-19, with a similar immune response to what’s seen in those ages 16-25. While data shows Covid-19 has largely been less serious in children than adults, hospitalization, death, and enduring symptoms known as “long Covid” are possible. Children have also made up a greater share of the country’s Covid-19 cases as the vaccination rate among adults has gone up, and child vaccinations became a greater priority amid the recent surge of the delta variant, which resulted in a number of Covid-19 outbreaks in schools and a rise in child hospitalizations.

Further Reading White House: About 900,000 kids got virus shots in 1st week (Associated Press)

Here’s How The White House Plans To Distribute Children’s Covid Vaccines (Forbes)

Kids Ages 5-11 Are Now Eligible For Covid Vaccines—But Polls Suggest Many Parents Won’t Let Their Child Get The Shot (Forbes)

CDC Director Recommends Pfizer Vaccine For Kids Ages 5 To 11 (Forbes)

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