CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Biden Administration announced its plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to young children once it's approved by the FDA and CDC. What will that look like in Chicago?
Health officials are saying the Pfizer vaccine could be authorized for young kids, ages 5 to 11, in the next couple weeks. The shots would be available at pediatric offices, pharmacies and schools. Dr. Scott Goldstein is a pediatrician at Northwestern Children's Practice.
"This is a little bit different situation from any other vaccine in that we're gonna have a huge demand, very quickly, right away," Goldstein said.
"Everybody's going to want it right away, but I think a difference of a couple days or a week isn't going to be a huge deal, if people have to wait a little bit. But we've been told time and time again that there's going to be more than enough vaccine available for any child who wants one," he added.
If and when federal regulators clear the inoculations for young kids, he said it will be one-third the dose that adults now receive and be given with a smaller needle. But, Dr. Goldstein said that potential side effects would be similar to those seen in adults and teens.
The FDA's independent advisory committee is scheduled to meet next week, and the CDC will meet the week after that. Dr. Goldstein said he hopes the rollout doesn't fall on Thanksgiving weekend, but it could be cutting it close.
"We went through it earlier in the summer with the 12- to 17-year olds, so we kind of know what to expect," he said. "So what our office plans to do is we have a Saturday and Sunday where we said 'Okay, everybody, if you want it, come in to get it anytime between 9 a.m. to noon,' knowing the demand was going to be kind of fast and furious."
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