Loyola Medicine Offers Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Ages 5 to 11

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola Medicine is now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5 to 11 at multiple clinic sites, including mobile vaccine clinics. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for emergency use for children ages 5 to 11. It is a two-dose series taken three weeks apart. Each dose will be 1/3 the dosage of the adolescent/adult vaccine.

Loyola Medicine is distributing COVID-19 vaccines to new and existing patients. Online scheduling is available at loyolamedicine.org/vaccines. Pediatrics department chairperson Jerold Stirling, MD, reminds parents that as families prepare to gather for the holidays, "Vaccination is important not only for children. A good percentage of children are asymptomatic while infected with COVID-19 and run high risk of spreading it."

Loyola Medicine has been vaccinating children ages 12 and up since May of 2021, and health system leaders and physicians are confident that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe for patients. As of October 2021, more than 11.1 million adolescents have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 was 90 – 100% effective in clinical trials and works against Delta and other known variants.

Loyola is also committed to delivering the vaccine in underserved communities across Chicago and west Suburban Cook County. Loyola Medicine’s pediatric mobile unit, which is funded through generous donations, will be visiting area schools to distribute the vaccine starting with Roswell B. Mason Elementary school in North Lawndale on Thursday, November 18. Julie O'Keefe, MD, said, "Minority communities have been hit so hard by COVID, especially Black and Latinx communities, which have also experienced high levels of vaccine hesitance."

In addition, Loyola's Community Health and Well-being team will be setting up mobile vaccine clinics at schools, local Catholic parishes and other community-centered events to provide education and information to families about getting vaccinated. They will be at St. Eulalia in Maywood on Tuesday, November 23 to distribute vaccines for children and adults during the parish's annual turkey distribution.

To request a visit from a Loyola Medicine COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinic, please apply here.

Video of the Loyola Medicine pediatric mobile unit and stills of a mobile vaccination clinic at this Dropbox link.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines at Loyola Medicine, visit COVID-19 page.