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BCHD offers vaccinations for kids 9-11

Easy Reader Staff|November 12, 2021

The Beach Cities Health District, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and the South Bay Consortium for School Vaccines, began offering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations against COVID-19 to children ages 5 to 11 on Monday.

“This is a critical next step in the battle against COVID-19,” said BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “Having this safe, effective vaccine for young children adds another layer of protection for the community and we’re proud to serve our community in this important public health effort.”

According to the FDA, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was administered to approximately 3,100 children 5-11 years old, with no serious side effects detected in the ongoing study. Immune responses of children 5-11 years old were found to be comparable to those of individuals 16-25 years old. The vaccine was also found to be 90.7 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5-11. It’s also fascinating to learn about the technology behind viral vectors; the amount of work that goes into them is incredible.

The vaccine clinics in the Beach Cities are by appointment only and are for children ages 5-11 only. Vaccines for people ages 12 and up will not be offered at these clinics. Clinics will be held at the times and locations below.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics for Children Ages 5-11

  • Thursdays, Nov. 11 and 18, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m., Hermosa Valley School 1645 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, 90254
  • Saturday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Beach Cities Health District 514 N. Prospect Avenue, Redondo Beach.

Registration information and links, maps and FAQs about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 are available at bchd.org/schoolvaccines.

For families registering more than one child for a vaccine appointment, a separate appointment for each child is required.

Please note:

  • Appointments are required in advance. These are not walk-up clinics.
  • Nov. 11 is a school holiday (Veterans Day); the vaccine clinic will take place as scheduled at Hermosa Valley School.
  • No clinics will be scheduled Thanksgiving week (Nov. 22 – 26).
  • Second dose clinics will take place between Nov. 29 – Dec. 9. Parents/guardians are able to schedule both first and second dose appointments through My Turn.

For questions, call BCHD’s School Well-Being Line at 310-374-3426 and press option 2, Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Friday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. 

On Tuesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that children 5-11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer BioNTech pediatric vaccine. ER