NYC prepares to vaccinate babies against COVID-19 while awaiting …

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Vaccination hubs across the five boroughs are getting prepared to administer the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to babies and children under the age of five as the city awaits the Centers for Disease Control approval.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to five years old.

The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is expected to meet this weekend and decide. If the vaccine is recommended, young children could begin get vaccinated as early as next week.

I know how long parents and caretakers of our little ones have been waiting for the moment their youngest would have access to a COVID-19 vaccine, and as soon as that moment comes, I want them to know we will be ready, Adams said.

We are looking to make this process as seamless as possible for parents, which is why were preparing, though city sites and partnerships with trusted pediatricians, to vaccinate and protect all of our children as soon as this vaccine is ready and shipped, Adams said.

Beginning June 21, parents and caregivers can use the citys Vaccine Finder website (vaccinefinder.nyc.gov) to find vaccine locations across the five boroughs, which includes 10 city Vaccine Hubs where the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be available for children aged six months through and including five years of age.

On Staten Island, the vaccination hub at Empire Outlets, located at 55 Richmond Terr., will have the vaccine available Monday through Sunday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The city Department of Health has been conducting educational outreach to providers; it is also recommending that parents begin contacting their childrens pediatricians to see if their office will have the COVID-19 vaccine available.

Weve been waiting so long for a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for our babies, and thankfully that time has arrived. While we still await formal federal guidance, we want parents to know that the vaccine is here, it is safe, and it protects against COVID-19 and its most severe complications, said city Health Commissioner Dr. Vasan.

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NYC prepares to vaccinate babies against COVID-19 while awaiting ...