First pediatric COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed in North Texas beginning Wednesday

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave final approval for children as young as 5 to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration already has OK'd kid-size doses -- just a third of the amount given to teens and adults -- as safe and effective for the younger age group. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines, and its advisers decided Pfizer's shots should be opened to all 28 million children ages 5 to 11.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the shots Tuesday afternoon, marking the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any COVID-19 vaccine.

Shots into little arms could begin this week, as Pfizer already is packing and shipping the first orders, millions of doses, to states and pharmacies to be ready.

Pfizer has already shipped the first orders. Cook Children's received its shipment on Tuesday ready to go after the CDC director gave the final approval.

Dallas and Tarrant County health departments both say vaccinations will begin Wednesday.  Both departments say it’ll be ready to roll with 3,000 doses for a small group. 

"And most locations should be ready by the weekend," said Tarrant County Health Director Vinney Taneja.

Still, the vast majority of vaccines will be heading to pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

"Beyond the clinical impact of COVID among children, there have been detrimental social and mental health impacts that we are just beginning to fully understand," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

RELATED: CDC approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11

It's a concern shared by the Center for Children's Health led by Cook Children's in Fort Worth.

"Our question was really just about the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole and just the stress that we're all going through from that," said Becki Hale, director.

A new survey with information from more than 5,000 North Texas families found a sharp increase in mental health complaints in kids related to the pandemic.

"This goes beyond what we see in anxiety and depression. This could ultimately impact the child's ability to get the food they need, the housing they need," said Blair Williams, community health analyst.

A nationwide survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found only 27% of parents plan to vaccinate their children between ages 5 and 11 right away. More than 60% are going to wait and see or not get them vaccinated at all.

Many parents have safety concerns, according to the study. Specifically, 76% worry about the long-term effects of the vaccine.

Dallas pharmacist Dawn Moshier with Campbell Pharmacy says she wants kids to get vaccinated, but she’s not expecting a rush.

"And if you want to wait and see more kids get vaccinated, then do that. I don’t want to rush anybody I want them to feel comfortable," she said. "What we had in the beginning of COVID was unbelievable. But now when you think through boosters or second shots, it’s not as chaotic."

Moshier will have 1,500 doses this week.

"Don’t rush. Don’t worry. There’s plenty of vaccine," she said.

During her statement to the advisory panel, the CDC director spoke about the widening education gap due to COVID-19's disruption of in-person learning.

"Pediatric vaccination has the power to help us change all of that," Walensky said.

There have been more than 8,300 hospitalizations of kids ages 5 to 11, about a third requiring intensive care, according to government data. The CDC has recorded at least 94 deaths in that age group. 

And while the U.S. has seen a recent downturn in COVID-19 cases, experts are worried about another uptick with holiday travel and as winter sends more activity indoors where it's easier for the coronavirus to spread.

Pfizer's kid shots contain a third of the vaccine dose that's already been used to vaccinate millions of people 12 and older. The 5- to 11-year-olds will receive two shots, three weeks apart, the same schedule as everyone else -- but a smaller amount in each shot, using a smaller needle.

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