Bridgette Melo, 5, holds onto the hand of her dad Jim Melo as she gets the first of two Pfizer COVID vaccinations on September 28, 2021 during a clinical trial for children at Duke Health. Shawn Rocco/Duke Health Photos provided by Duke Health. Permission for CNN to use across all platforms and distribute to affils.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has begun to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old after for appointments beginning Monday, November 8.
Appointments will be available at covidvaccine.umc.edu for all county health departments. Appointments can also be made by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 866-498-4948 from 7 am to 7 pm seven days a week.
Vaccinations for all Mississippians 5 and older can also be found from other providers including healthcare providers, FQHCs, independent, and retail pharmacies.
“We are pleased this has finally been approved, and we recommend that all children 5 and older in Mississippi be vaccinated against COVID-19,” said MSDH State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. “If you have questions or concerns, we urge you to please talk with your pediatrician or healthcare provider.”
The Mississippi State Department of Health has ordered 51,000 doses of vaccine for this age group, and they are arriving at county health departments and other healthcare providers this week.
Children ages 5-11 years will be vaccinated with two 10-microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered 21 days apart. The dosage is one-third of the adolescent and adult dose.
