Conn. (WTNH) — The Biden Administration is unveiling its plan for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for kids age five to 11 ahead of the FDA’s anticipated approval. We show you how the State of Connecticut is planning for the rollout here.
The infrastructure is already in place for the adults, however, doctors say most parents and children will feel more comfortable getting their dose from the pediatrician. So this time around, there is a little bit of shuffling in the supply chain.
Doctors say child vaccines could arrive in Connecticut as early as the first week in November.
Michael Robbins, a parent, told News 8, “I think I am a little bit more comfortable as they move away from emergency use authorization to full FDA approval, but the science seems to be there and the studies seem to be there.”
Doses will be distributed across the state to public clinics as well as pediatrician offices, but there is a learning curve as doses are different than adults.
Dr. Leslie Sude, a Yale Medicine pediatrician explained, “Our clinics are getting ready for that, for the pre-orders, and we are training up nurses and staff on how to prepare and administer those vaccines.”
Dr. Magna Dias is the chief of pediatrics at Bridgeport Hospital, she says the logistics are difficult because of the subzero storage requirements for the Pfizer shot. Not all pediatrician offices have the capacity for that.
“The state has been working with us to really try and figure out how to get smaller supplies,” Dr. Dias said. “Whether that is through us or store it and re-distribute it to the pediatricians.”
So now, the conversation turns to if the kids are vaccinated, can they take the masks off in school? A lot of the health experts we talk to say it’s a little too soon to take them off, but maybe in the near future they can at least start to have the conversation.
Dr. Dias said, “It’s not as easy as saying ‘we’ve got vaccination now let’s take the masks off.’ It’s going to depend on what the rates are in the community. Do we see a new variant form?”
And Dr. Diaz is not ruling out larger clinics around the state, depending on the availability of that cold storage.