COVID-19 Vaccination for Children 5 through 11 Years Old

The federal government is committed to ensuring that children ages 5 through 11 years old have access to COVID-19 vaccines.  Scientists have conducted clinical trials with about 3,000 children, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has met the safety and efficacy standards for authorization in children ages 5 through 11 years old.  The safety of COVID-19 vaccines continues to be monitored.

This page shares up-to-date information and resources on how to help get children ages 5 through 11 years old vaccinated.

Children 5 years and older can get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Children 5 through 11 years old will receive a separate vaccine formulation denoted with an orange cap of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will receive the vaccine with a smaller needle. An overview of the description of the differences in the adult/adolescent formulation and pediatric formulationpdf icon is available.

Children between the ages of 2 and 4 years old, other unvaccinated children 5 years or older and adults should continue to wear a mask in public spaces and around people they don’t live with.

• CDC COVID Data Tracker (Pediatric Data)
• Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting October 26, 2021 Briefing Document – Sponsor (Pfizer)external icon (FDA)
• FDA Will Follow the Science On COVID-19 Vaccines for Young Childrenexternal icon (FDA Statement – September 10, 2021)
• Trends in COVID-19 Cases, Emergency Department Visits, and Hospital Admissions Among Children and Adolescents Aged 0–17 Years — United States, August 2020–August 2021 (CDC, MMWR)
• Hospitalizations Associated with COVID-19 Among Children and Adolescents — COVID-NET, 14 States, March 1, 2020–August 14, 2021 (CDC, MMWR)
• Provisional COVID-19 Deaths: Focus on Ages 0-18 Years (National Center for Health Statistics)
• Children and COVID-19: State Level Data Reportexternal icon (American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association)

• Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC
• Administration Overview for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Vaccine Administration Protocols
• Immunization Schedules
• Vaccine Administration Resource Library

• You Call the Shots Vaccine Administration e-Learn: The vaccine administration e-Learn is an interactive, online educational program that serves as a useful introductory course or a great refresher on vaccine administration. Continuing education (C.E.) is available.
• You Call the Shots Storage and Handling: You Call the Shots is a series of interactive, web-based, immunization training courses that present practice-oriented immunization content in a self-study format. This module provides an overview of vaccine storage and handling requirements. Continuing education (C.E.) is available.
• Vaccine Administration: Intramuscular (IM) injections: Children 7 through 18 years of agepdf icon: This chart provides an overview of best practices for healthcare providers to administer an I.M. injection to patients 7 through 18 years of age.
• Vaccine Administration: Needle Gauge and Lengthpdf icon: This chart provides an overview of the recommended needle gauge and length for patients depending on route, age, and injection site.
• Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations – AAPexternal icon. This online course aims to improve knowledge and competency among pediatricians and non-physicians to have effective COVID-19 vaccine conversations with patients and families, including sharing credible COVID-19 vaccination information and responding to misinformation.
• U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information: Find a suite of information and materials needed for each specific COVID-19 vaccine that covers administration, storage and handling, safety, and reporting.
• Training and Education for COVID-19 Vaccination

• Slide Deck: COVID-19 Vaccines and Children with Developmental Disabilities: Let’s Talkpdf iconexternal icon (Webinar held Nov. 17, 2021, from VaxFactsDDNY, a project of Rose F. Kennedy Children’s Evaluation & Rehabilitation Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine)
• Important Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination of Children with Developmental Disabilitiespdf iconexternal icon (Pediatrics, Oct 2021)
• Talking to Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities about COVID-19 Vaccination
• Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies