Ashland School District

This week, we have learned that the pediatric formulation of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 is in the late stages of the approval process, and could be released for use as early as the first week in November for children ages 5-11.

This is what is currently known about COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12 years old:

• There are approximately 28M children between the ages of 5-11 years old in the United States. The US government has procured enough vaccine to support vaccination of this population.

• The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for 5–11-year-olds will be a new product with new packaging and a new national drug code (NDC). Current product for adults and adolescents should not be used in children.

• FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) is scheduled to meet on Oct 26th. Jurisdictions should be ready to vaccinate children 5-11 years old shortly thereafter pending FDA authorization and ACIP recommendations.

• CDC will release additional guidance during the week of October 12th–15th.

We will share more information with our families and community about the vaccine and where to find access to the vaccine as we receive it. If you have any questions about the suitability of the vaccine for your student, please talk to your child's pediatrician.