Essex County has opened three of its vaccination sites to children ages five to 11 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved giving the Pfizer COVID vaccine to that age group.
The three sites are the Essex County College, 177 West Market Street in Newark; the former Kmart store near Whole Foods in West Orange; and the former Sears store on Eisenhower Parkway in Livingston.
The shots are free, but they are by appointment only and a parent or guardian must accompany the child. To make an appointment, go to the County’s vaccination website or call 973-877-8456.
The children’s version of the Pfizer vaccine is a third of the dose given to people 12 and older, but it is still a two-shot vaccine. The second shot is given 21 days after the first.
According to the daily COVID case rate sent out by Essex County, children age five to 17 now account for 10.7% of all positive cases, up from 10.2% when school started. There have been no fatalities in that age group in the County.
